US and Iran on the brink of war
Both the United States and Iran have warned that they are ready to resume the war as the current ceasefire approaches its expiration, with the fate of the second peace talks cycle between Washington and Tehran hanging in the balance.
The White House announced that Vice President JD Vance was prepared to fly to Islamabad to lead the American delegation, which also includes President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The talks were initially scheduled to take place in the Pakistani capital on Monday but were interrupted after Iran announced its withdrawal from the talks aimed at ending the war that has engulfed the Middle East and roiled global markets.
Iran’s withdrawal was partly triggered by the US seizure of an Iranian cargo ship en route to a port on Sunday. The US Navy stated that the ship failed to heed warnings and was trying to evade the Iranian port blockades.
The blockade went into effect last week in response to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war on February 28, leading to a spike in global oil prices.
Iran stated that the naval blockade of its ports constituted a ceasefire violation, a claim refuted by the US. Trump insisted that the US Navy would continue to enforce it until Iran reopens the strategic waterway it controls to maritime traffic unconditionally.
“The blockade, which we won’t lift until there is an ‘agreement,’ is absolutely devastating Iran. They are losing $500 million (…) per day, an unsustainable figure, especially short-term,” he wrote on his Truth Social network.
Tehran also declared that it would not engage in diplomatic efforts under the threat of attack, following President Trump’s recent social media messages threatening to escalate fighting and “blow up” the entire country if an agreement with Washington was not reached.
The Iranian Parliament’s President Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized Trump’s actions, accusing him of seeking to turn the negotiation table into a surrender table or justify new warmongering.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – an elite unit with its navy that reports directly to the Ayatollah – warned that it would target any ship attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without authorization.
The waterways facilitate about a fifth of the world’s global exports of oil, gas, and other essential products like fertilizers.
The Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading just over $95 on Tuesday, showing a significant decrease from the $120 levels it reached before the ceasefire but still a 40% increase from early February prices.
Sources: AFP
