The war front between the US and Iran in the Middle East continues to blaze, with both sides showing less and less willingness to compromise toward ending operations. The US announced today, Wednesday, that it struck Iranian targets after a US Army helicopter was shot down yesterday, Tuesday, in the Persian Gulf. In response, Iran launched attacks against US bases in the region.
According to the US Central Command (Centcom), the American strikes targeted Iranian defense systems, ground control stations, and radar facilities near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for its part, announced that it launched attacks against 21 targets at US bases in the region, one in Bahrain and one in Jordan, while Kuwait's military said it also intercepted an attack.
US President Donald Trump was assuring yesterday, Tuesday morning, that Washington was close to a "very good deal" to end the war that broke out on February 28 with the US-Israeli attack on Iran. He had even given a timeline of "two to three days." That optimism was overturned later in the day when he announced that an AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down by Iranian armed forces and warned that the appropriate retaliation would follow.
Iran: The US continued attacks, undermining any negotiation
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the United States had undermined ongoing international diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, as Washington continued to conduct airstrikes on various targets in the southern part of the Islamic Republic.
According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, any diplomatic process would be undermined by the use of force and continued violations of the ceasefire agreement.
On the same day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also warned neighboring countries in the Gulf region that they have a "legal and moral responsibility" to prevent the US and Israeli militaries from using their territory or facilities to plan, organize, execute, or support attacks against Iran.
Oil prices sky-high
The latest attacks led to a surge in oil prices, which remain significantly higher than pre-war levels. Higher inflation increases pressures on Donald Trump and creates grounds for conflict with Kevin Warsh, the new president of the US Federal Reserve, who has a mandate to reduce inflation to 2%.
Qatar sent officials to support negotiations
At the same time, negotiators from Qatar traveled today, Wednesday, to Tehran seeking to remove the last obstacles to progress in talks between the US and Iran, a diplomatic source told CNN, as negotiations between the two sides have reached a deadlock.
"After consultations with the United States, Qatari negotiators traveled this morning to Tehran to meet with Iranians with the aim of bridging differences" between the two sides, the unnamed diplomat said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Trump's post or the Qatari negotiators' trip to Tehran.
Fox News, however, citing a telephone interview, reported that Donald Trump is likely to order new attacks on Iran's power plants and bridges because Tehran is dragging its feet in negotiating a deal.
Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that the Iranians "took a long time to negotiate a deal that would be great for them" and "they should pay the price."
IAEA: Iran to explain regarding enriched uranium stockpiles
The 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today approved a resolution, supported by the US, demanding that Iran provide "information," disclose its remaining enriched uranium stocks, and allow inspectors to verify the data.
The development may complicate Washington's talks with Tehran over the war in the Middle East.
The resolution, submitted by the US, Britain, France, and Germany, was approved with 21 votes in favor, three against, and 10 abstentions, diplomats said at the closed-door Board of Governors meeting.
The countries that voted against the resolution were Russia, China, and Niger, the diplomats said, adding that Venezuela was not allowed to participate.
