War in the Middle East: A resumption of the conflict is likely, says a senior Iranian officer

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As Tehran shows signs of impatience, negotiations between Iran and the United States remain deadlocked and the ceasefire is becoming increasingly precarious. “Iran has presented its plan to Pakistani mediators to end the war. The ball is in the court of the United States, who must choose between a diplomatic approach or continuing a confrontational one,” communicated Kazem Gharibabadi, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister.

Iran claims to be prepared for both outcomes and even seems to consider the worst. “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,” said Iranian military official Mohammed Jafar Asadi.

This is a direct response to Donald Trump’s rejection of a new offer from Tehran to restart talks. “They are not proposing the kind of agreement we need, and we will handle that properly. We will not leave until the hour for the problem to appear in three years,” said the American president. While no details have been disclosed about this proposal, the United States have remained firm on the issue of Iranian nuclear weapons.

To win the showdown, Donald Trump is increasing threats and provocations: “Do we want to crush them once and for all, or do we want to try to conclude an agreement? There are options. I do not prefer (to crush them) for humanitarian reasons, but it is an option.”

Both countries are now considering a resumption of hostilities, even as Donald Trump announced on Friday, May 1st, to Congress that hostilities had ended since the ceasefire on April 8th. For the Democrats, this declaration is just a sleight of hand, as the conflict continues in other forms, such as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. They see it as a maneuver by the president to bypass the authorization of Congress, which is required to continue the war after 60 days.