Donald Trump has once again rejected the ultimatum he had set in Tehran, stating that the discussions were going “very well” despite apparent mistrust from the Islamic Republic towards his plan to end the war.
The American president has been threatening for several days to target Iranian power plants to accelerate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil trade.
Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social network that he was suspending, “at the request of the Iranian government (…) for ten days the destruction of power plants, until Monday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m. Washington time.”
“The discussions continue and, unlike what the lying media say (…), they are going very well,” he added.
After nearly four weeks of a war engulfing the Middle East and causing oil prices to soar, Iran is not backing down while Washington seems to be seeking a diplomatic way out.
In Israel, the opposition has signaled the end of political consensus on the conduct of the war, with its leader Ya’ir Lapid denouncing a war “on multiple fronts without strategy” and with “far too few soldiers.”
The country, which launched the offensive against Iran instead of the United States on February 28, is also conducting strikes and ground operations in neighboring Lebanon against the Hezbollah movement, an ally of Tehran. Explosions were heard Friday morning in the south of Beirut, AFP reported.
Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin admitted Thursday night that the army needed “additional forces.”
Since the beginning of the week, diplomatic efforts have been made by the United States to silence the guns.
Washington presented Iran, via Pakistan, with a 15-point proposal.
If Tehran refuses to use the term “discussion” at this stage, an anonymous source cited by the Tasnim news agency stated on Thursday that Iran had “officially” responded to the American plan “through intermediaries.” They have set conditions for a cessation of hostilities and are now awaiting “a response from the other party.”
The U.S. executive branch viewed the passage of several tankers through the Strait of Hormuz favorably, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass and have been de facto blocked by Iran for several weeks.
Iran has allowed “ten ships” to pass, Donald Trump said, believing that this gesture showed that his administration was “negotiating with the right people” in Iran.
The Gulf states, where energy infrastructure and American interests are regularly targeted, have requested to participate in the negotiation process.
They intend to “contribute to strengthening their security and stability,” according to Jassem Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman).
While Israel remains silent on these discussions, it continues its military operations and assassinations of senior Iranian officials.
The latest was the chief of the Revolutionary Guards navy, Alireza Tangsiri, described by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz as “directly responsible for mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz.”
Tehran has not confirmed the information.
Israel is also facing attacks. A man was killed Thursday in northern Israel following gunfire from neighboring Lebanon.
The Israeli army is “advancing a little more each day, but slowly” in the border area between the two countries, a military source on the ground told AFP.
According to official Lebanese sources, Israeli strikes have killed a thousand people and displaced a million.
Published on March 27 at 01:32 am, by AFP
