Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war stalled again over the weekend as both sides dug in on their demands, even as they face mounting pressure to reach a compromise.
US President Trump issued a new warning to Iran on April 29, telling the regime to “get smart soon” and make a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior Iranian lawmaker re-issued a threat on behalf of the regime warning that if the US continues intercepting its ships, Iran may ask its Houthi allies in Yemen to disrupt the Bab el-Mandeb strait, another vital chokepoint for Middle Eastern energy supplies.
Iran said it won’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless the US lifts its blockade and ends the war. Trump wants a broader deal that would end Iran’s nuclear programme and address other issues like its missile programme and support for regional proxies.
The US Navy has three aircraft carrier groups in the region: the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS George H.W. Bush
The continued closure of the strait has sent gas prices soaring and could cause further damage to the world economy ahead of US midterm elections. The blockade is strangling Iran’s economy.
Iran’s latest proposal to the US has put off negotiations on its nuclear programme to a future date. Instead, the deal would only see Tehran end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting its blockade on Iranian ports and a longterm or permanent truce, according to two regional officials.
The US military presence in the Middle East continues to grow. The US Navy has three aircraft carrier groups in the region: the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS George H.W. Bush.
