US-Iran peace deal in limbo? Tehran and Washington accuse each other of violating the ceasefire after the new military action Today’s news
Days after US President Donald Trump announced the Iran deal was “largely negotiated”, Tehran and Washington on Thursday (local time) accused each other of violating a shaky truce in their three-month war.
The accusations come after Washington struck Iranian military targets for the second time this week, Bloomberg reported. Despite the condemnation, both sides insisted that the ceasefire remained intact and that ongoing negotiations through mediators were making progress; however, there was little public sign of significant progress.
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US shot down Iranian drones
US forces shot down at least four Iranian drones targeting a commercial vessel and hit a drone launch unit near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official. The official added that the actions were defensive and that the ceasefire remains intact. Tehran later targeted the American base from which the operation was launched, according to state-run Press TV.
Washington, in turn, accused Tehran of “egregious ceasefire violations” and said Kuwait had intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Islamic Republic at the Persian Gulf country. “Any explosions that can be heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting enemy targets,” Kuwait informed its residents.
Trump says no nation would control the Strait of Hormuz
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump called a White House cabinet meeting during which he declared that no nation would control the Strait of Hormuz, an issue that has now become an issue in resolving the conflict. The actual closure of the strait since the start of the war in late February has cut off roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, sending prices soaring and inflation soaring.
The US president said: “These are international waters. The strait will be open to all,” and that the US “will oversee it.”
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However, Trump did not clearly mention what steps Washington might take to ensure free transit of the vessels. The US Treasury Department said it had taken action against Tehran’s administration of the Persian Gulf, accusing it of launching a new attempt “to monetize its campaign of state-sponsored terror by extorting vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran tightens control over Hormuz
Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic has expanded its claimed jurisdiction and set new rules for vessels trying to navigate the artery. This includes sailors who deal with a new Iranian agency and sometimes receive requests for payments of up to $2 million for safe passage.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said at least 26 merchant ships and oil tankers had passed through the waterway in the past 24 hours after receiving permission, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing an IRGC statement. Vessels attempting unauthorized entry into the Persian Gulf were stopped by Iranian naval forces, he added.
Trump says Iran deal is close
The US president continues to hint that a deal is close, but finds himself caught between Iranian demands for an end to attacks, as well as financial relief, and pressure from Republican hawks to get the job done, or at least not sign a bad deal.
The situation is further complicated by his own past remarks criticizing his predecessors for signing or even considering agreements similar to what is now considered the most viable option.
Amidst all the uncertainty, both Iran and the US have said their talks, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, are continuing. According to a Telegram post, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiators may need a few more days to finalize a deal. An Iranian delegation returned to Tehran this week after talks in the Qatari capital, which a diplomat familiar with the talks described as productive.
The two countries, which agreed to a ceasefire in early April, are still negotiating the release of Iran’s estimated $24 billion in frozen assets, including the amount to be released and a timetable for doing so. On Thursday, the Tasnim news agency said Tehran was seeking the release of all assets blocked by the United States.
