Iran and the United States were once again deadlocked on Monday over how to end the war, with their ceasefire becoming increasingly unstable.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran and the United States were once again deadlocked on Monday over how to end their war, with their ceasefire becoming increasingly unstable. The two sides exchanged fire Ships and Gulf states have been targeted in recent days, as fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has intensified.
Volatility could tip the Middle East Return to open war and prolong the global energy crisis caused by the conflict, Iran’s control of energy Strait of Hormuz The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place. US President Donald Trump is expected to use Traveling to China this week Chinese President Xi Jinping is urged to pressure Iran to make concessions and end the current impasse. Beijing is the largest buyer of sanctioned crude oil from the Islamic Republic, giving it influence.
But reaching any agreement may still be a difficult task. Iran insists it wants to see the United States end its blockade and lift sanctions before starting talks on Iran. Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpile. The United States and Israel want the material removed because it could eventually be used to make a bomb if Iran chooses to do so. Tehran insists its program is peaceful but it enriches uranium beyond levels needed for civilian power generation.
Israel insists enriched uranium must be shipped out of Iran
Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s response to its latest overtures was “totally unacceptable!” Ending the blockade before discussing Iran’s nuclear program would remove a major bargaining chip for Trump.
Meanwhile, the standoff in the strait, a key transit point for the world’s oil and gas exports, sent fuel prices soaring and roiled world markets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched war with Trump on February 28, insists the conflict is “not over yet,” saying in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday that the key goal is to get nuclear materials out of Iran. Netanyahu said that if that could not be achieved through negotiations, Israel and the United States agreed that “we can reengage with them through military means.”
Netanyahu also said that the current Iranian government’s “days are numbered, but it may take many days.”
The United States and Israel killed dozens of senior Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader, in the opening battle of the war, and the conflict has wreaked havoc on Iran’s economy but its theocracy still maintains a stranglehold on power.
Iran and the United States accuse each other of causing the standoff
Trump immediately rejected the new Iranian proposal sent to him via Pakistan on Sunday. In it, Iran demanded war reparations from the United States and full sovereignty over Iran. Strait of HormuzEnd sanctions and release assets seized overseas, Iran’s state television reported.
Iran has also called for an immediate end to wars, including fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which have repeatedly exchanged fire, although they are also technically in a ceasefire. The Israeli military said on Monday that Hezbollah has launched deadly attacks in the conflict, which has seen Israel attack Lebanon and seize Lebanese territory, including one that killed another Israeli soldier.
“We are not asking for any concessions – the only thing we are asking for is Iran’s legitimate rights,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghayi said on Monday. “The US still insists on its one-sided views and unreasonable demands.”
However, two regional officials involved in the negotiations told The Associated Press that Iran did offer to dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and ship the rest to a third country, and asked for 30 days of talks to hammer out the details. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive ongoing diplomatic activities.
president of russia Vladimir Putin Offers have been made to obtain uranium from Iran.
Russia operates Iran’s only nuclear power plant in Bushehr and took some of Iran’s uranium stockpile as part of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Asked about Putin’s comments on Monday, Baghayi said: “At this stage, our focus is on ending the war.”
Iran continues executions
Meanwhile, Iran executed another man accused of spying for the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. Iran’s state-run Islamic News Agency identified the prisoner as Erfan Shakourzadeh, saying he worked in satellite communications and relayed classified information to these intelligence services.
Iran has since carried out a series of executions Nationwide protests swept the country in January. Activists have long accused Iran of conducting closed-door trials in which defendants are unable to adequately defend themselves. Iran’s Justice Minister has repeatedly stated that Tehran will speed up executions to fight back against enemies at home and abroad.
Magdi reported from Cairo.
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