The situation has been at an impasse: direct talks in Islamabad on April 11 were unsuccessful, with strong disagreements remaining from the Strait of Hormuz to the nuclear issue. Iran sent a new text this week via Pakistan, but no details were disclosed.
Donald Trump said he was “not satisfied” with the proposal. While he had previously threatened to “destroy” the Iranian civilization, he added that he would prefer not to “completely pulverize” Iran, but that a resumption of war remains “an option.” “A resumption of conflict between Iran and the United States is likely, and the facts have shown that the United States do not respect any promises or agreements,” reacted Mohammad Jafar Asadi, deputy inspector of the Iranian Armed Forces’ Khatam Al-Anbiya command, as reported by the Fars news agency. The continuation of war or a diplomatic path, Tehran is “ready” for both scenarios, and “the ball is in the court of the United States,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
“Humiliation”
Donald Trump theoretically had until Friday to seek authorization from Congress to continue the war. Instead, he chose to send a letter to parliamentary officials notifying them that hostilities against Iran were “over,” even though several Democratic lawmakers highlighted that the continued presence of forces in the region indicated otherwise.
While the bombings have stopped, the conflict persists in other forms: Washington is imposing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s consumed hydrocarbons previously passed. The repercussions of the conflict continue to shake the global economy, with oil prices rising to unprecedented levels since 2022.
As the US president criticizes the lack of support from Europeans, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within a year. The president was particularly annoyed by comments from Chancellor Friedrich Merz stating that the Americans had “no strategy” in Iran and that Tehran was “humiliating” the world’s leading power.
New Tariffs?
On Friday, Donald Trump also indirectly criticized Germany and its significant automobile exports by announcing plans to raise tariffs on imported vehicles from the European Union to 25% “next week.” He accuses the EU of not honoring the trade agreement reached last summer, even though the validation process of this agreement has not yet been completed within the bloc of 27.
“The Union is ‘implementing the commitments made’ with Washington ‘in accordance with usual legislative practices, keeping the US government fully informed throughout the process,'” responded its delegation in Washington. If the United States do not abide by their part of the agreement, they added, “we will keep all options open to protect EU interests.”
Such American surcharges would lead to “enormous costs for the German and European automotive industry, which is already facing very difficult conditions,” said Hildegard Müller, president of the German automotive lobby (VDA), in a statement yesterday. She urgently called for both parties to de-escalate and quickly open negotiations.
