Washington– American forces carried out From new defensive strikes on Wednesday on an Iranian military facility after shooting down Iranian drones, according to US officials.
The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said US Central Command forces shot down four Iranian attack drones in one direction that were posing a threat around the Strait of Hormuz.
US forces also bombed an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone, according to the officials.
The strikes followed the president Donald Trump He confirmed on Wednesday that Iran was “negotiating over the fumes” and insisted on this Midterm elections in November It wouldn’t make him rush into an agreement to end nearly that The conflict has been going on for three months This has raised concerns throughout the global economy.
Speaking at the start of the Cabinet meeting, Trump expressed confidence that an agreement was close. He even announced over the weekend that his administration and Tehran had done so The settlement was “largely negotiated,” Although talks are still on In the flow.
The president is looking for a settlement that can be reopened Strait of Hormuz And provide him with a reliable excuse for that Iran’s nuclear capacity It had diminished enough to declare victory, bringing an end to the politically unpopular conflict for the Republicans.
But under the current circumstances, Trump also risks finding that ending his chosen war comes to an unsatisfactory end.
The emerging agreement postpones the resolution of several crucial issues for later, and has already exposed the Republican president to intense criticism – even from some of his supporters – that Iran’s hard-line leaders will emerge from the conflict damaged but emboldened. It all comes to his head just as Midterm elections Determining control of Congress is coming into focus, Republicans are concerned about that High costs and fuel prices It darkens the mood of American voters.
But Trump on Wednesday rejected the idea that the upcoming elections would shape his strategy toward Iran.
“They thought they were going to outrun me. You know, we were going to outrun him. He got the midterms,” Trump said. “I don’t care about the midterms.”
Trump acknowledged that there was still work to be done, but he spoke with some certainty that both sides would get there.
“They desperately want to reach an agreement,” Trump said. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not happy with that, but we will be — either that or we’ll have to finish the job.”
The talks became more complicated after American forces carried out the attack What the Pentagon called “defensive” strikes. On missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran, on Monday. The United States said it acted with “restraint” in light of this A ceasefire that lasts for weeksWhile Iran denounced this measure and described it as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability.” Wednesday’s strikes are likely to cause further complications.
While Trump insists that an agreement is within reach, there appears to be disagreement between the United States and Iran on several key issues. He also faces the president Scrutiny by Republican alliesThey include Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Ted Cruz of Texas, who said the terms appear very favorable to Tehran.
They reject aspects of the deal that have emerged publicly, saying it is too similar to the nuclear deal Democratic President Barack Obama reached with Iran, which Trump scrapped during his first term.
Under the potential agreement, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of the substance Highly enriched uranium – a major demand of Trump – in exchange for easing sanctions. That’s according to two regional officials and a senior Trump administration official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.
How Iran gives up uranium will be subject to further talks over a 60-day period, said one regional official with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Some of them are likely to be diluted, while the rest will be transferred to a third country, the official said.
Trump said he “would not feel comfortable” with Russia or China seizing Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The two countries have close relations with Tehran, and nuclear analysts said they could be an acceptable third party for the Iranian Republic to obtain enriched uranium as part of a potential deal.
Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has not publicly committed to giving up the uranium it possesses.
Another major unresolved issue is whether the ceasefire will also include Israel’s operations against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. Iran insists that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the United States.
It seems that the administration is leaving room for maneuver regarding the Lebanese issue. The emerging memorandum of understanding calls for a ceasefire between the United States and its allies against Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, but also emphasizes Israel’s right to act against imminent threats and in self-defense.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that the Israeli army is “deepening its operations” in Lebanon. Overnight, the Israeli army clashed with the Iranian-backed militant Hezbollah group along a strategic river in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces pushed north.
Jonathan Conricus, a former Israeli military spokesman, said Israel expects Iran to move quickly to direct any sanctions relief to restore its military capacity and strengthen proxy groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.
“We are not done fighting, because the Iranian regime is not done yet,” said Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hardline think tank in Washington.
Trump on Wednesday also strengthened his call for the agreement to include a condition for several additional countries to join, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan. Abraham AccordsThe agreements brokered by the United States since Trump’s first term aim to normalize diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.
“We, as you know, are very much asking for them to join,” Trump said.
Trump’s optimism that other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries may soon sign the agreements may be overly ambitious.
For example, Saudi Arabia, the most important power in the Arab world and long seen as the biggest prize for normalization efforts, has insisted on the need to establish A guaranteed path to the establishment of a Palestinian state It remains a prerequisite. This is something that Israel strongly opposes.
Trump pushed for the Abraham Accords during a phone call with leaders of Middle Eastern allies over the weekend.
Barbara Leaf, a retired US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and a senior State Department official during President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration, said officials from Gulf states who participated in the call told her that Trump’s offer was met with “stunned silence.” A person familiar with the call disputed that characterization and said some regional allies responded positively to the president’s call to join the agreements. The person spoke on condition of anonymity regarding the private conversation.
Lev, a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, said U.S. allies in the Middle East realize that Iran will likely use any money from sanctions relief to bolster its military capabilities. However, they remained supportive of Trump’s efforts to end the conflict.
“They see no other way out,” Leaf said of America’s allies in the region. “And they see no other way out because of many of these early mistakes made by the president and the administration in conducting the war.”
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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Michelle L. Price, Darlene Superville in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Meg Kennard in Columbia, South Carolina, Sami Magdy in Cairo, and Melanie Leidman in Jerusalem.