Post #5504

Israel Is Gradually Shelling Secret Military Targets in Iran 🔤🔤🔤🔤1️⃣ Intensifying Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Iran and an expanding US military force in the Gulf are casting a dark shadow over Pakistan’s hopes of hosting peace talks between Iran and the US. Pakistan is attempting high-wire diplomacy, using its relative neutrality as a country with good relations with Iran and the US, to provide a venue for negotiations. It is not a player in the Middle East and does not host any American military bases, so it does not bring the baggage of other potential regional mediators. Pakistan’s de facto leader, military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, has the US president’s ear, and Islamabad’s ties with Tehran have dramatically improved over the past couple of years. Both sides have indicated their willingness in principle to talk, according to Pakistani officials. But the conflict is widening, there’s little trust and the stated positions of Tehran and Washington are far apart. Pakistani officials believe the biggest risk to any talks is Israel playing the role of spoiler. Israel bombed two of Iran’s largest steel plants on Friday and civilian nuclear sites, which, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said contradicts Trump’s announcement of a pause in attacks on civilian infrastructure to give diplomacy a chance. Iran also said two universities were hit. Those are just the kind of attacks on non-military and non-regime targets that would derail the talks, Pakistani officials believe. Iran’s core concern is to ensure an end to the war and that there are no future attacks by the US and Israel, said Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US. “The toughest part is believing Trump’s word. He is not a rational player. He’s completely whimsical,” said Lodhi. Trump insists Iran wants a deal “so badly”, but Tehran says he is “negotiating with himself”. Iran does not just want a ceasefire but a guarantee the war is over. One possibility is for Tehran to retain its hold over the strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway for the Gulf’s oil and gas exports that Iran has been controlling during the war. That idea was described as unacceptable by Rubio though Trump himself has suggested joint US-Iranian administration of the strait. #iran#trump#war#israel#targets 📱American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸