Tensions between the United States and Iran have boiled over again after President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Saturday (local time) that he may order renewed military action if it “doesn’t misbehave”.
Asked if Trump might order new strikes on Iran despite the nearly four-week ceasefire, he told reporters: “If they misbehave, if they do something wrong — but right now, we’ll see. It’s a possibility that could happen, for sure,” Axios reported.
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Renewed military action against Iran?
His remarks come as Washington and Tehran are still exchanging drafts for a framework agreement to end the war. However, Trump has now made it clear that he is seriously considering resuming military action against Iran to break the current stalemate.
Hours before the US president warned Tehran, two senior Iranian officials made similar remarks, with one saying the Islamic Republic was fully prepared to repel any aggression and an Iranian military officer saying a new clash with the US was likely.
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Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told a gathering of ambassadors and heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Tehran: “Iran presented its plan to Pakistan as a mediator to permanently end the ordered war, and now the ball is in the US court. Iran is ready to go either way to ensure its national interests and security, and in any case, it will always maintain its pessimism and distrust of diplomacy.”
Separately, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a key figure in the Islamic Republic’s central command, said “a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely.”
The remarks by Iranian officials came a day after Trump rejected the latest proposal Iran sent to Pakistani mediators to resume talks. Citing sources, Axios said the proposal would set a one-month deadline for negotiations on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and Lebanon.
Under Iran’s proposal, only after such a deal is reached would another month of negotiations begin to try to reach an agreement on the nuclear program.
Trump rejects Iran proposal
Earlier on Friday, Trump rejected Tehran’s proposal, saying he was “unhappy” and “not satisfied.” Speaking to reporters at the White House, the US president remarked: “They want to make a deal, but I’m not happy with it. We just had a conversation with Iran. We’ll see what happens. But I would say I’m not happy.”
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But Trump told reporters on Saturday before departing Palm Beach for Miami that he would review the 14-point proposal on the plane. “I’m looking into it. I’ll let you know about it later… They told me about the draft agreement. They’ll give me the exact wording now.”
Shortly afterwards, he wrote in a Truth Social post that he “can’t imagine this being acceptable” and stressed that Iran “has not yet paid a big enough price for what it has done to humanity and the world over the last 47 years”.
Diplomacy possible: Iran’s leaders
Days after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was ready to resume diplomacy with Washington provided Washington dropped its “maximalist” demands and stopped its “maritime piracy” against Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hinted at something similar. Araghchi recently noted that diplomacy is possible, but with conditions. He added that Tehran was ready to continue diplomatic efforts only if the Americans dropped what he called “exaggerated demands, threatening rhetoric and provocative actions.” He added that Iran’s military remains “on full alert”.
Peace talks between the US and Iran in limbo?
While both sides express their intention to negotiate, they also issue warnings. After the first round of talks failed in early April, the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, a move that prompted Tehran to object to a second round of talks. Last week, Araghchi visited Pakistan, after which hopes for a peace deal were renewed. But before Trump’s team could leave for Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, Araghchi left the country. The gridlock over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the naval blockade and the peace deal continue, but the question remains whether the US would violate the ceasefire, which Trump has extended indefinitely.
Key things
- The US and Iran are in a precarious situation with ongoing negotiations and threats.
- Diplomatic efforts are complicated by military posturing on both sides.
- The potential for renewed conflict remains high, especially if the terms of the ceasefire are violated.
