The conflict in West Asia between the US and Iran enters another critical phase as Iran seems to act decisively to end the war. While US approach has often been aggressive, Iran has been calculative in its response.
Iran on Thursday said it is reviewing the Trump administration’s latest proposal for bringing an end to the war after the U.S. president said he was prepared to wait a few more days to “get the right answers” from Tehran.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the Islamic Republic had received the views of the American side “and are reviewing them,” according to the state-run agency Nour News.
Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir is expected to travel to Iran’s capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
Talks to bring an end to the Iran war have shown little progress in recent weeks, with both sides locked in an uneasy stalemate as Tehran blocks the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and Washington blockades Iranian ports.
Around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war, but shipping traffic has virtually halted since U.S. and Israeli-led strikes against Iran started on Feb. 28.
“Believe me, if we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” President Donald Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday.
Trump has repeatedly warned of renewed attacks against Iran if the two sides are unable to agree on a deal, only to delay the deadlines he’s set.
The U.S. president said he’d been “an hour away” from deciding to attack Iran on Tuesday, before he was then persuaded to postpone the strike.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned against any further attacks on the country. In a strongly worded statement reported on Wednesday, the paramilitary group threatened to extend the Middle East conflict “beyond the region” if the U.S. and Israel resume strikes against the country.
