Iran has announced on Wednesday evening that it is examining a new American peace proposal through the Pakistani mediator, with Donald Trump warning that the situation is “on the edge” between reaching an agreement or a resumption of hostilities.
“We have received the views of the American party and we are currently examining them,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on state television, expressing “great distrust” towards the United States.
He reiterated the demands of the Islamic Republic: “unfreezing of Iranian assets blocked abroad” and an end to the American blockade of Iranian ports.
These statements come after the Pakistani Interior Minister, Mohsen Naqvi, made a second visit in a few days to Tehran, as a mediator in the conflict.
On the American side, Donald Trump left the door open to diplomacy by stating that he is “not in a hurry.”
“We will see what happens. Either we will reach an agreement, or we will take more severe measures. But I hope that will not happen,” said the American president to journalists from Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
“It’s on the line, believe me. If we don’t get the right answers, it can happen very quickly. We are all ready to act. We need to get the right answers. They must be completely, 100%, satisfactory.”
The billionaire added that an agreement with Iran would save “a lot of time, energy, and lives,” estimating that it could be concluded “very quickly, or within a few days.”
The hope of progress in the negotiations caused oil prices to drop: the price of Brent crude dropped by 5.63% to $105.02. In response, European stock markets ended sharply higher, and on Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose by 1.31%.
– “Beyond the region” –
On Tuesday, Donald Trump had given Tehran “two or three days” to reach an agreement. An ultimatum dismissed by the Iranian authorities.
“Iran will never give in to intimidation” and must “strengthen its preparations to provide a strong response to any new attack,” warned Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stating that the enemy had not given up on its military objectives and was seeking to trigger a new war.
The Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, have threatened to extend the war “well beyond the region.”
Since the fragile truce went into effect on April 8 after more than a month of war, discussions are ongoing, with both countries holding their positions and exchanging accusations.
Only one real negotiation session, which was unsuccessful, was held on April 11 in Pakistan, and now negotiations continue behind the scenes.
The conflict, triggered by an Israeli-American attack on Tehran on February 28, has resulted in thousands of deaths, especially in Iran and Lebanon, where the pro-Iranian Hezbollah attacked Israel, which then invaded the southern part of the country.
It has also severely disrupted the global economy, with a surge in oil prices and rampant shortages of raw materials, due to the quasi-blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz by Tehran.
– “Seizing the opportunity” –
In the Gulf, heavily affected by the war, Riyadh has increased pressure on Iran. Pleased that Donald Trump “gives diplomacy a chance,” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, urged Tehran to seize the opportunity to avoid “escalation.”
In retaliation for strikes on its soil, Tehran carried out attacks across the region, targeting in particular the wealthy Gulf monarchies allied with Washington.
And in Israel, the army raised its alert level to the maximum, stating that it is “prepared for any development.”
A major focus of the war, the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the consumed crude oil and liquefied natural gas previously transited, remains under Tehran’s control. The creation of an organization to oversee this maritime route and collect tolls was officially announced by Tehran at the beginning of the week.
Some 26 ships crossed it in 24 hours, announced the Revolutionary Guard’s Navy, including a South Korean tanker “in coordination with Iran,” for the first time since the conflict began, according to Seoul.
On the other hand, the American military announced the seizure of an Iranian-flagged tanker suspected of attempting to violate the American blockade of Iranian ports.
