Efforts to extend a ceasefire involving Iran, United States and Israel faced fresh uncertainty on Tuesday after Iranian media reported that Tehran had stopped communicating with mediators. According to Fars and Tasnim news agencies, which are regarded as being close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Iranian officials had suspended contact regarding discussions on prolonging the truce.ย
However, US President Donald Trump rejected those reports, insisting that negotiations were still ongoing.
The development came amid rising tensions in the wider region, particularly in Israel’s separate conflict with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon.
A regional official involved in mediation efforts told The Associated Press that Iran had not been in contact throughout Tuesday. The official, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the talks, said Tehran had previously indicated that negotiations could only move forward if a ceasefire was enforced in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the US military announced that it had intercepted another vessel attempting to reach an Iranian port despite the American blockade.
US Central Command said the ship was the seventh vessel stopped while trying to breach the blockade. In a statement posted on social media, the military said the Botswana-flagged tanker M/T Lexie ignored repeated warnings issued over a 24-hour period.
According to the statement, an aircraft eventually fired a Hellfire missile into the vessel’s engine room, forcing it to stop. No further details about the crew or the ship’s condition were immediately released.
Trump says talks going on continuously
The US President junked media reports suggesting that talks between Washington and Tehran have faltered and the two sides havenโt maintained contact for quite some time now. Trump said the talks were ongoing, warningย Iran that there was no choice before them but to make a deal.
โFake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous. The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today. Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, โItโs time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. Youโve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!โ Trump posted on Truth Social.ย
Iran targets US bases In Kuwait, Bahrain
Iran said it carried out missile attacks on Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and Isa Air Base in Bahrain, describing the operation as a response to what it called โhostile actionsโ by the United States in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and near Qeshm Island.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched โprecise and concentrated missile strikesโ against the two military bases.
The IRGC said the attacks were carried out after what it described as a US strike on Iranโs Qeshm Island.ย
What lies ahead for the Middle East?
Despite intense diplomatic engagement between Iran and the United States, the prospects for a breakthrough remain remote. The two sides continue to be divided on several contentious issues, including a ceasefire in Lebanon, the release of Iranโs frozen assets, and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz.
These disagreements have repeatedly stalled negotiations and undermined confidence-building efforts. Furthermore, Iranโs decision-making structure appears fragmented, with the government signalling openness to diplomacy while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) adopts a more hardline posture, complicating Tehranโs ability to present a coherent negotiating position.
This indicates that the unrest is likely to persist because of a lack of trust and no clear plan for ending hostilities.
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