Iran pushes back against US as regional attacks heat up
New round of strikes raises fears of further escalation as Iran rejects Omani proposal for joint oversight of Strait of Hormuz. Tehran, Iran – Iran
New round of strikes raises fears of further escalation as Iran rejects Omani proposal for joint oversight of Strait of Hormuz. Tehran, Iran – Iran has continued to push back against the United States and other rival interests in the region, as a new round of attacks fuels fears of a wider conflict. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday released footage of overnight strikes on a US military base in Jordan, in what it said came in response to “aggressive actions”. Jordan said all five ballistic missiles were intercepted, but US President Donald Trump threatened that his country’s forces would hit Iran hard in response to the strikes in Jordan. “They’re going to get a beating,” he told Fox News, adding that his administration was weighing additional actions against Iran-aligned groups in the region, including Iraq. Inside Iran, authorities on Wednesday afternoon reported that a missile struck a border area in the West Azerbaijan province, but there were no fatalities. Shortly after, Israel said a drone launched by the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah targeted an Israeli military vehicle in occupied southern Lebanon. The Tehran-aligned Houthis in Yemen have this week launched major attacks against Saudi Arabian oil facilities and Saudi-linked vessels in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while the US and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday launched joint strikes on Iran-aligned forces in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters. Late on Tuesday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, outlined Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz, saying a proposal by Oman for a 50-50 management split was unacceptable. Speaking to state television, he added that Tehran would not recognise the US-backed southern route near the Gulf country, or a third route under this proposal, while also rejecting de-mining operations in the strategic waterway by other powers.
Another round of conflict seemingly on the way Regional mediators continue to push for a diplomatic resolution to the US-Israel war on Iran that began on February 28. But the latest flare-up of attacks suggests little appetite for direct negotiations. Iranian authorities have reasoned that the US is committing an act of aggression by imposing a naval blockade of Iran’s southern ports. They also accuse Washington of reneging on several commitments outlined in a memorandum of understanding that was signed in June. These include the introduction of the southern route near Oman, the fact that no frozen Iranian funds were released, and a deal with Lebanon’s government allowing Israel to keep occupying Lebanese territory until Hezbollah is disarmed. After the understanding fell through and attacks restarted, Iran’s leaders further developed the belief that they must “not concede an inch” on key issues, particularly on Hormuz, according to Ellie Geranmayeh. The senior policy fellow and deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) told Al Jazeera that Iran is pondering whether a long-term deal is possible with Trump, noting that the US president’s abrupt U-turns – including linking a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia to normalisation with Israel – have made the situation more complicated. “Iran’s rejection of Oman’s proposal must be viewed in the broader context that there is an increasing belief inside the political and military establishment in Iran that another major bombing campaign by the US is coming and inevitable,” she told Al Jazeera. Geranmayeh pointed out that decision-makers in Iran have also hardened their position, including on Iran’s nuclear programme or potential inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The BriefWire