Iranian diplomacy confirmed on Wednesday evening that it had received and was considering the latest US proposal to end the war, while US President Donald Trump warned that the situation is "on the brink" between reaching an agreement and resuming the armed conflict. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state television that Tehran had received "the views of the American side" through Pakistan, which is playing a mediating role in the negotiations.
“We have received the views of the American side and are currently considering them,” he said, stressing Iran’s “great distrust” of Washington. Tehran reiterated its main demands, including the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports. The statements came after Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsen Naqvi’s second visit to Tehran in a few days, while US President Donald Trump left open the possibility of a diplomatic solution.
"We'll see what happens. Either we make a deal, or we get a little tougher. But I hope we don't get there," Trump said from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. He added that a deal could be reached "within days" and would save Iran "a lot of time, energy and lives."
Tensions between Trump and Netanyahu
According to reports from the American portal Axios and the American newspaper Wall Street Journal, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense conversation on Tuesday about Iran and the proposal to end the war. Reports say that Netanyahu reacted angrily after discussions about the possibility of a deal. On the other hand, the chief Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Iran “will never back down because of intimidation” and is increasing preparations to respond to any new attack.
Even the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that if the war resumes, the conflict “will cross the borders of the region” and Iranian strikes will be “devastating.” Since the fragile ceasefire of April 8, negotiations have been slow, while the exchange of threats between the parties has intensified. Hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough immediately affected global markets. Brent crude fell by 5.63%, falling to $ 105.02 a barrel, while European and American stock markets closed higher. The conflict, which erupted after the US and Israel attacked Tehran on February 28, has caused thousands of casualties and serious shocks to the global economy, especially due to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the main artery for transporting oil from the Middle East.
In Israel, the military has raised its alert level to the highest level, declaring that it is “prepared for any development.” Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia called on Iran to seize the “diplomatic opportunity” to avoid a new escalation. At the same time, the Iranian navy reported that 26 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, including a South Korean tanker, in coordination with Tehran. For its part, the US military announced that it had intervened against an Iranian-flagged tanker, under suspicion of violating the naval blockade of the Islamic Republic.
