War in the Middle East: a Pakistani mediator again in Tehran

The head of the Pakistani army, a mediating country in the conflict between the United States and Iran, went to Tehran on Friday to try to end the war, against a backdrop of Donald Trump’s threat to resume his strikes in a conflict which is seriously disrupting the world economy.

“Marshal Asim Munir has arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing mediation efforts,” the Pakistani army announced in a statement late in the day.

But the information coming from Washington and Tehran is tempering hopes of an imminent agreement.

“This is the continuation of the diplomatic process. We cannot necessarily say that this means that we have reached a turning point or a decisive situation,” warned the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaël Baghaï, on state television.

According to him, the differences remain “deep” and “important questions” pending: the end of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the American blockade of Iranian ports, he listed, this time quoted by the Isna news agency.

At this stage, the nuclear aspect, where again the gap between the two parties is large, is not addressed, he insisted.

– Unpopular war –

A few hours later, American media Axios and CBS reported that Washington was considering new strikes against Tehran.

According to CBS News, American soldiers are preparing for possible new strikes during the weekend, which lasts until Monday in the United States. Friday morning, the American president gathered his closest advisors to discuss the war, says the media Axios.

And Donald Trump announced that he would not be able to attend the wedding of his son Don Jr. and that he would have to stay in Washington rather than go to one of its golf courses, for “reasons relating to state affairs.”

However, he declared during a speech near New York that Iranian leaders “are desperate to make a deal.”

Since the ceasefire of April 8, Donald Trump has been blowing hot and cold on a possible resumption of hostilities with Tehran. He threatened to resume fighting several times, without following through.

The American president is looking for a way out of this unpopular war in his country, which has seriously disrupted the world economy, due to the virtual blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz by Tehran, through which a fifth of crude oil and natural gas normally transit. liquefied liquid consumed worldwide.

For its part, the Iranian government has repeated that it will “never give in to intimidation” and the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, have threatened to extend the war “well beyond the region” in the event of new American attack.

Despite the “repeated betrayals” of the United States, Iran “took part in the diplomatic process with a responsible approach (…) and seeks to achieve a reasonable and fair result”, declared Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi, quoted by Iranian media.

– Deaths in Lebanon –

Other countries, notably Qatar, which like its neighbors has been hit hard by this maritime blockage, are also increasing their mediation efforts.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit of a Qatari delegation on Friday, welcoming the “valuable efforts” of many states.

The world stock markets wanted to believe in an agreement: the European stock markets closed the week on the rise, just like Wall Street which ended on a record for the second session in a row.

On the oil market, however, there is nervousness due to fear of a shortage of supply: a barrel of Brent from the North Sea increased by 0.94% to 103.54 dollars, and its American equivalent, a barrel of WTI, gained 0.26% to $96.60.

In Lebanon, Israeli strikes continue despite the ceasefire in force between Israel and pro-Iranian Hezbollah since mid-April.

On Friday, ten people were killed in the south of the country, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Furthermore, Israel carried out five air attacks Friday evening in eastern Lebanon, a region hitherto spared by Israeli strikes, and on buildings in the coastal city of Tyre.