US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, said the situation with Iran is “at the edge,” emphasizing that either there will be an agreement or harsher measures will be taken. For its part, Tehran notes that it received the new American proposal for an agreement and is examining it, while expressing distrust toward the United States.
Trump: “We’re at the edge” with Iran for deal or harsh measures
US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, referring to developments with Iran, emphasized that “we’ll see what happens. Either we’ll reach an agreement, or we’ll take slightly harsher measures. But I hope we don’t get there,” before characteristically underlining that “we’re right on the edge, believe me. If we get good answers, this can develop very quickly. We’re all ready to act. We need to get good answers. They need to be absolutely, 100% satisfactory.”
The American president left the door of diplomacy open, assuring that he’s not “rushing” and added that reaching an agreement would allow Iran to save “a lot of time, energy and lives,” and that it could be concluded “very quickly, within a few days.”
Iran: We received American proposals and are examining them
Iran confirmed on Wednesday evening (May 20) that it received and is “examining” the most recent American proposal to end the war, through Pakistan, whose government has undertaken, along with others, a mediating role to achieve an agreement between the two sides.
“We received the views of the American side and are examining them at this moment,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Iranian public television, while simultaneously noting Tehran’s “great distrust” toward Washington. At the same time, he reiterated demands of the Islamic Republic, especially the “release of Iranian resources that have been frozen” abroad and the end of the American blockade of Iranian ports.
It’s noted that these statements were made after the second visit within a few days to Tehran by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Threats of new military confrontation and ultimatums
The hope for progress in negotiations reduced oil prices. North Sea Brent, the benchmark variety in international markets, fell by 5.63% to $105.02. European and American stock markets closed recording clear gains.
However, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense conversation on Tuesday about Iran, as reported by Axios and the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. They disagreed about the proposal to end the war; Mr. Netanyahu was furious after the discussion, the two news outlets noted.
On Tuesday, Trump said he was giving Tehran “two or three days” deadline to close a deal. The ultimatum was rejected by the Iranian side.
“Iran will never back down because of intimidation” and “is strengthening its preparations to give a dynamic response to any new attack,” emphasized Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He warned that the enemy “has not abandoned its military objectives” and “seeks new war.”
The Revolutionary Guards–Iran’s ideological army–conveyed for their part that if war resumes, “it will extend this time far beyond the region and our devastating strikes will crush you.”
Since a fragile ceasefire was announced on April 8, after more than a month of war, talks between the two sides have been marking time and the exchange of threats and insults is intensifying. The only meeting so far of delegations from both sides, on April 11 in Islamabad, was fruitless. Since then, there have been negotiations in the corridors.
It’s noted that the war, which broke out with the US and Israeli attack against Tehran on February 28, has cost the lives of thousands of people, the vast majority in Iran and Lebanon, where the Shiite Hezbollah movement, which is aligned with Tehran, operates. It has simultaneously caused serious disruptions to the global economy, triggering a dramatic increase in oil prices and major shortages of raw materials, due to Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Opportunity for diplomacy from Trump and avoidance of escalation
In the Gulf, which is being severely tested by the war, Riyadh is intensifying pressure on Iran. Expressing satisfaction that American President Trump “gave diplomacy a chance,” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, suggested to Tehran that it seize the opportunity to avoid new “escalation.”
In retaliation for the strikes against it, Iran launched a counterattack throughout the region, specifically targeting the wealthy oil-producing Gulf monarchies, Washington’s allies. In Israel, the military raised its alert level to the maximum, declaring itself “prepared for any development.”
The Strait of Hormuz remains under Tehran’s control
A major stake in the war, the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of crude oil and liquefied natural gas exported from the Middle East to the rest of the world passed before the war, remains under Tehran’s control, which formalized at the beginning of the week the establishment of an organization responsible for supervising the maritime artery and collecting tolls.
It’s noted that about 26 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours, as reported by the Revolutionary Guards navy, including a South Korean tanker “in coordination with Iran,” for the first time since the outbreak of armed conflict, according to Seoul.
For its part, the US military announced that it sent forces to board an Iranian-flagged crude tanker because there were “suspicions” that it was trying to violate the blockade of the Islamic Republic’s ports.
