Iran and Trump trade threats, ceasefire talks falter as war drags on – National
Iran continued its attacks on Israel and its Persian Gulf neighbors on Wednesday as airstrikes hit Tehran and US President Donald Trump again made conflicting statements about whether he was ready to end the war or escalate it.
Trump hit back Wednesday in a Social Truth book, demanding that Iran stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway critical to the world’s oil supply — or the US will blast the Islamic Republic into the “Stone Age.” The day before, Trump said that the US “will have nothing to do” with ensuring the safety of ships passing through Hormuz; that was a reversal from an earlier threat to attack Iran’s electricity grid if it did not turn on the electricity by April 6.
Trump, who is scheduled to give a televised speech on Wednesday evening, said on Tuesday that he could leave the war in two to three weeks if he feels confident that Iran will not be able to develop a nuclear weapon – even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire.
But his latest book Truth Social has taken a hard line as more US troops move into the region to attack after weeks of strikes against Iran.
Trump also said on Wednesday that “the new President of the State of Iran” wants an end to the shooting. It was not clear who the American president was referring to since Iran still has the same president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” according to a report on Iranian state television.
Speaking earlier to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated Tehran’s determination to continue fighting. “You cannot talk to the Iranian people with the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set ourselves a deadline for defense.”
There are no signs that Iran is giving up its grip on the Strait of Hormuz
Since the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has offered changing intentions and repeatedly said it could end soon while also threatening to escalate the conflict. Thousands of additional US troops are currently on their way to the Middle East, and speculation is rife about the purpose of their deployment.
A few days ago, Trump threatened to attack an oil export facility on Kharg Island in Iran. And there has been speculation about whether the US might decide to send troops to protect Iran’s uranium stockpile — a complex and dangerous task, fraught with radiological and chemical hazards, according to experts and former government officials.
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Adding to the confusion is what role Israel – which has been bombing Iran alongside the US – could play in any of these situations.
Trump has been under pressure to end the war as oil prices have risen, driving up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, has risen more than 40% since the start of the war, trading above $103 a barrel on Wednesday.
It is not clear what diplomatic efforts
The US presented Iran with a 15-point plan aimed at ending hostilities, including a demand that the strait be reopened and that its nuclear program be rolled back.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful. And in a report last week by Iranian state TV in English, an anonymous official was quoted as saying that Iran has its own demands for an end to the fighting, including maintaining sovereignty over the crisis.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi admitted that he received direct messages from US Mideast ambassador Steve Witkoff. He emphasized, however, that there are no direct talks and said that Iran has no faith that talks with the US can bring any results, saying that “the level of trust is at zero.”
He warned against any American attempt to attack on the ground, saying “we are waiting for them.”
Iran rammed a ship off the coast of Qatar and attacked other Gulf states
A cruise missile hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. Workers were evacuated and no one was reported dead. A Kuwaiti oil tanker was attacked in Dubai yesterday, one of more than 20 ships attacked by Iran during the war.
In the United Arab Emirates, one person died when he was hit by the debris of a strange plane in Fujairah, which is one of the seven emirates in the country.
In Kuwait, the state-run news agency, KUNA, said a drone crashed into a fuel tank at the Kuwait International Airport, causing a huge fire.
The Jordanian military said it intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones that were shot down by Iran in the past 24 hours. No injuries were reported. Two drones were also seized in Saudi Arabia.
In Israel, sirens went off warning of incoming missiles and AP reporters heard a loud boom in Tel Aviv as building windows shook from the thunder. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The airstrikes in Tehran appeared to have hit the former US Embassy, which has been under the control of Iran’s military since American diplomats were kidnapped there in 1979. Witnesses said the windows on the outside of the main building were blown out.
In Lebanon, at least five people were killed in an Israeli strike in the Beirut area.
Israel attacked southern Lebanon after the Iran-linked terrorist group Hezbollah began firing missiles into northern Israel days into the war. Many Lebanese are afraid of another job that will take a long time.
More than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than a million displaced, according to authorities. Ten Israeli soldiers also died there.
In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel. More than 22 people died in the Gulf states and the West Bank, and 13 members of the US were killed.
Height reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
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