Iran announced on Thursday that it is reviewing the latest viewpoints sent by the United States to end the war, after US President Donald Trump signaled Washington's readiness to wait a few days "to get the right answers" from Tehran, while simultaneously vowing to launch new strikes unless it agrees to a deal.
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The official Iranian website Nour News quoted Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying: "We have received the viewpoints of the United States and are currently reviewing them."
He added that Pakistan, which hosted peace talks last month and acts as a mediator exchanging messages between the two sides, continues its mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington, with several rounds of communication having taken place. The Pakistani Interior Minister visited Tehran on Wednesday.
Little Progress and Domestically Driven Pressures
Talks to end the war have made little progress six weeks after a fragile ceasefire took effect, while surging oil prices have stoked inflation fears and its impact on the global economy. Trump is also facing domestic pressure ahead of the congressional midterm elections in November, as his approval ratings have dropped close to their lowest level since his return to the White House due to soaring fuel prices.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said: "Believe me, if we don't get the right answers, things are going to move very fast. We are all set to go."
When asked how long he would wait, he replied: "It could be a few days, but things could move very fast."
The US President reiterated his determination never to allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. Earlier on Wednesday, he told reporters: "We are in the final stages with Iran. We'll see what happens. Either we'll make a deal or we'll do some things that are a little bit bad, but I hope they don't happen."
He added: "I'd rather see a few people killed than a lot of people killed. We can do it either way."
Iran presented a new proposal to the United States this week, but its public declarations regarding the content echo terms previously rejected by Trump, including control over the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations, the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen funds and assets, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region.
Two Chinese Tankers Transit the Strait
The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments passed prior to the war, has remained virtually closed since the outbreak of hostilities, causing the largest-ever disruption to global energy supplies.
On Wednesday, Iran published a map showing a "controlled maritime zone" in the Strait, stating that transit would require authorization from an authority it established to control the waterway. Tehran claims it aims to open the Strait to friendly nations that comply with its conditions. This could potentially include imposing transit fees, a move Washington deems unacceptable.
On Wednesday, two giant Chinese supertankers carrying a combined total of approximately four million barrels of oil transited the Strait, while Seoul stated that a South Korean tanker loaded with two million barrels of crude oil in Kuwait was also crossing the Strait in coordination with Iran.
According to Lloyd's List, a specialized maritime intelligence firm, at least 54 vessels transited the Strait last week—double the number recorded the previous week. Iran stated that 26 vessels crossed the Strait within a 24-hour period, which still represents a fraction of the pre-war daily transit volume that ranged from 125 to 140 ships.
War Outcomes and Strategic Objectives
The US and Israeli military campaign resulted in thousands of deaths in Iran before operations were suspended under the ceasefire agreement in April. Israel has killed thousands more and displaced hundreds of thousands in Lebanon, which it invaded to target fighters of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.
Meanwhile, Iranian strikes on Israel and Gulf states have resulted in dozens of fatalities.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that they launched the war to halt Iran's support for regional proxy militias, dismantle Tehran's nuclear program, destroy its missile capabilities, and create conditions for the Iranian people to topple the regime.
However, the war has not yet succeeded in stripping Iran of its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, nor has it eliminated its capacity to threaten its neighbors with missiles, drones, and allied proxy factions. Furthermore, its clerical rulers, who suppressed a mass uprising at the beginning of the year, have faced no signs of organized opposition since the war began.
Reuters
