On Saturday, Iran accused the United States of obstructing negotiations aimed at ending the war through "excessive demands," at a time when changes to U.S. President Donald Trump's schedule have fueled speculation about a potential resumption of hostilities.
اضافة اعلان
During a conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke of "contradictory positions and excessive demands" by the United States, according to the Tasnim and Fars news agencies.
Araghchi stated that these factors are "disrupting the ongoing negotiation process, which is being held under Pakistani auspices."
Iranian media quoted Araghchi as saying that despite repeated "betrayals" by the United States, Iran has "participated in the diplomatic process with a responsible approach [...] and seeks to achieve a reasonable and just outcome."
On Friday, Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as part of his country's mediation efforts. According to the IRNA news agency, he held talks until late Friday night with Araghchi regarding "the latest diplomatic efforts and initiatives to prevent a new escalation."
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that differences between Tehran and Washington remain deep. According to him, these disputes encompass ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and the nuclear issue.
In parallel, Qatar and other nations are intensifying their mediation efforts. Baghaei noted that a Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Friday.
Meanwhile, U.S. media reported that Washington is considering launching new military operations against Iran.
CBS News reported that the U.S. military is preparing for potential bombing operations over the weekend, while Axios stated that Trump gathered his top advisors on Friday to discuss the war.
Trump Alters His Schedule
The U.S. President announced that he would be unable to attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and would be forced to remain in Washington due to "reasons of state."
Nevertheless, in a speech on Friday, he claimed that "Iranian leaders are desperate to make a deal."
Since the truce came into effect on April 8 following more than a month of fighting, only one round of negotiations has been held in Islamabad, on April 11, which did not result in an agreement.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume the war if an agreement is not reached.
The war has caused significant disruption to the global economy due to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas production typically passes.
In response, the Iranian government has reaffirmed that it "will never surrender to intimidation," while the Revolutionary Guard has threatened to expand the scope of the war "beyond the region" in the event of a new U.S. attack.
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes continue despite the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
AFP
