The “permanent end” of the war in the Middle East is uncertain
- The US and Iran have occasionally traded blows since their truce took effect in early April, while diplomacy aimed at more permanent deals has dragged on.
The United States attacked Iranian military facilities and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded by attacking a US base over the weekend, in the latest US-Iranian military exchange amid negotiations to end the three-month war. The United States and Iran have occasionally traded blows since their truce took effect in early April, while diplomacy aimed at more permanent deals has dragged on. A similar exchange took place last Thursday and was described in almost identical terms by both sides.
The U.S. strikes on Iran’s Persian Gulf coast over the weekend were in response to “aggressive Iranian actions that included the downing of a U.S. drone ’em-Q-1′ flying over international waters,” the U.S. Central Command said in a post on the X social network.
“US warplanes quickly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station and two one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat to ships transiting regional waters,” CENTCOM said, adding that it would continue to protect US assets and interests during the ongoing ceasefire.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said yesterday that an attack had been carried out on an air base used by the United States in response to an attack on southern Iran, without specifying which base.
Air defenses in Kuwait, home to a major US base, intercepted missile and drone attacks yesterday as sirens sounded across the country, state news agency KUNA reported, without giving further details.
Trump, under domestic pressure, claims Iran wants a peace deal
In a social media post, US President Donald Trump made no mention of the exchange of hostilities, repeating his as-yet-unproven claim that Iran “really wants to make a deal”, rebuking his critics.
– Just sit back and relax, in the end everything will be fine – it always is – said the American president.
Trump is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lower US fuel prices ahead of November’s congressional elections, as voters show growing frustration with rising prices. He also faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks in his own party over any concessions to Tehran. Trump has said his key goal in the war is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon with its highly enriched uranium. Tehran has repeatedly denied any plans to do so.
The two sides remain at odds over several other issues, such as Tehran’s demands for the lifting of sanctions and the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks.
The Israeli-Lebanese conflict is an additional obstacle on the way to peace
Israel’s war in Lebanon with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia is another major obstacle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had ordered troops to advance further into Lebanon in the fight against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
– US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu about the diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and proposed a plan that would enable a “gradual de-escalation” – said an American official.
American discussions on the extension of the cease-fire without a clear conclusion
The war between the US and Israel that began on February 28 has so far killed thousands, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and caused global economic pain with energy prices rising due to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices rose about 2 percent in Asia yesterday as a lack of progress in talks kept traders in suspense.
Although the cease-fire went into effect on April 8, Trump has repeatedly suggested that the US and Iran are close to a lasting deal and that negotiations are progressing, but no formal agreement has yet been reached.
Trump and his cabinet met on Friday to make a “final decision” on the framework for extending the ceasefire, but the meeting ended without clarity on next steps, before reports emerged later that the president had requested changes to the text. The latest terms include a 60-day ceasefire, a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and a framework for reopening negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, according to US media. RS
Mistrust between the US and Iran is growing vs
the continuation of diplomatic efforts
The exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran since the announcement of a cease-fire in April has fueled mistrust between the two sides, while diplomatic efforts continue in the background, according to people familiar with the situation.
– What is striking here, what is significant, is the wider context of this episode and the incidents between the two sides over the past few days. In the past week, we have seen how Iran repeatedly accuses the United States of violating the truce, and also of violating maritime transport in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf, reported Al Jazeera’s correspondent from Tehran, Almigdad Alruhaid. RS
Iran reiterated that a ceasefire in Lebanon is “necessary” for a deal with the US
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said any deal with the United States to end the war must include guarantees for a cease-fire in Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its attacks despite a truce announced in mid-April.
– We insist that the ceasefire in Lebanon is an essential condition for any agreement aimed at ending the war – Baghai said at a press conference. RS
