Iran warns of extended strikes on US under two conditions
File photo: Iranian flag (Getty Images)
Iran states that it will respond with "long and painful strikes" against US positions if Washington resumes attacks and asserts its claims over the Strait of Hormuz, which would complicate US plans to form a coalition to reopen the waterway, Reuters reports.
At the same time, the agency notes that efforts to resolve the conflict have reached an impasse. A ceasefire has been in effect since April 8, but Iran continues to block the strait in response to the US naval blockade of Iranian oil exports, which serve as Tehran's economic lifeline.
US President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday regarding plans for a series of new military strikes to force Iran into negotiations to end the conflict, a US official tells Reuters.
Such options have long been part of US planning, but reports of the proposed briefing, first published by the news site Axios late Wednesday, initially led to a significant spike in oil prices, with the price of benchmark Brent crude at one point exceeding $126 per barrel. It later fell to around $114.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday evening that it was unwise to expect quick results from negotiations with the US, according to the official IRNA news agency.
"Expecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, is not very realistic," he said.
Late Thursday, air defense activity was heard in some areas of the Iranian capital, Tehran, the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr reported, while the Tasnim news agency reported that air defense systems had attacked small drones and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.
Iran recently proposed a reconciliation plan to the United States, which included Washington lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and postponing discussions on the nuclear program.
However, the United States does not accept this position. On the contrary, it takes a rather opposite stance. While there is no official resumption of negotiations, the parties are in communication with one another.
