War, Breaking News. Trump: Hope Deal Close. Khamenei: Uranium Must Remain In Iran

Iran media, ‘US has filled in some gaps, we are preparing response’

Iran is preparing a response to a message sent by the US, and discussions are underway in Tehran, the country’s state media report. The text sent by Washington has filled in some gaps, regime media say, adding that today’s visit to Tehran by Pakistani army chief Asim Munir aims to fill in the remaining gaps and reach the point where a memorandum of understanding could be formally accepted.

Iran: CNN, Tehran is rebuilding its armed forces faster than expected

Iran accelerated the rebuilding of its military capabilities and resumed drone production in the weeks following the entry into force of the ceasefire with the US and Israel on 8 April. This was reported by CNN citing US intelligence sources. According to the US broadcaster, the speed and scope with which Tehran is rebuilding its drone and missile capabilities surprised the US intelligence community, which had expected a longer timeframe for restoring the arsenal. A US official, quoted by CNN, said that Iran could return to pre-conflict military levels ‘in as little as six months’, claiming that Tehran had ‘exceeded all the timelines the intelligence community had predicted for reconstitution’.

Heated Trump-Netanyahu phone call, tense discussions on Iran

The heated discussions on how to proceed with Iran were allegedly behind the ‘prolonged and dramatic’ telephone conversation on Tuesday between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders – three sources quoted by CNN reported – allegedly tried to reach convergent positions, but the conclusion of the phone call left the Israeli head of government ‘furious’.

Trump and Netanyahu had already spoken two days earlier, on Sunday. The US president, on that occasion, had anticipated his intention to proceed with new targeted attacks against Iran at the beginning of the week, an operation that was to take on a new name: Operation Hammer. However, about 24 hours after that first conversation, Trump announced the suspension of the attacks, according to him, at the request of his Gulf allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Countries that, in the following days, would remain in close contact with the White House and Pakistani mediators to work on a framework that could facilitate diplomatic talks.

“We are in the final stages of the Iran issue. We will see what happens,” Trump then told reporters yesterday, referring to efforts to reach an agreement. “Either we will reach an agreement or we will do something a little bit unpleasant,” he continued. “But I hope it doesn’t happen.”

On the Israeli side, however, the ongoing negotiations have frustrated the prime minister, who has long advocated a more aggressive approach to Tehran. Netanyahu has argued that a postponement would only benefit the Iranians. And the PM reportedly expressed his disappointment on Tuesday, telling Trump that in his view the postponement of the planned attacks was a mistake and that the president should have proceeded as planned, according to a US official. During the hour-long conversation, Netanyahu also reportedly insisted on the resumption of military operations.

During the phone call, therefore, a divergence between the two positions would have emerged rather clearly: Trump wanted to assess the possibility of reaching an agreement, while Netanyahu expected something different, an immediate attack against the Iranian infrastructure, especially the energy infrastructure. And the Israeli concern after Tuesday’s phone call would quickly spread to officials close to Netanyahu, another Israeli source told CNN. At the top of the Jewish state government, in particular, there remains a strong desire to resume military action and there is growing frustration that Trump continues to tolerate what they call a diplomatic stalling by Iran.

Source link