US and Saudi forces conduct strikes on Iranian proxies in Iraq
Tensions remain high between the US and Iran despite a recent lull in direct military strikes. While President Trump claims Iran requested a halt to hostilities, Iranian officials deny any negotiations are taking place.
Why it matters
Highlights the ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East and the difficulty of diplomatic communication between adversarial nations.
Link Copied! The US and Iran may have stopped shooting at each other, but they remain poles apart Analysis by Nic Robertson The two sides may have largely stopped shooting at each other, but listen to Washington and Tehran’s version of events and it’s clear they remain poles apart.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said Washington had halted strikes on Iran at the regime’s own request.
“They asked us very nicely, ‘Please stop, let’s meet’,” Trump said.
But Tehran sees it differently and appears prepared to dig in for the long haul to secure its demands.
The same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei appeared to contradict Trump. “We have no negotiations with the United States at present.”
Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said “there was no begging from the Iranian delegation to continue the negotiations.”
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