US issues stern warning to Iran amid stalled negotiations

Amid 15-point plan and ceasefire proposal to end the war in the Middle East, US has issued a stern warning to Iran. Read here.

US President Donald Trump in deep trouble

Tensions in the Middle East have sharply risen in recent weeks. The US sent Iran a 15-point plan and ceasefire proposal to end the war in the Middle East. According to the Wall Street Journal, the 15-point plan calls on Iran to dismantle its three main nuclear sites and end any enrichment on Iranian soil, suspend its ballistic-missile work, curb support for proxies and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In return, the nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, imposed by the international community, will end, and the US will also assist and monitor its civil nuclear programme.

Will Iran accept the US Ceasefire plan?

However, things don’t seem to be going as planned for the US. On Wednesday, Iran rejected U.S. efforts to bring an end to the fighting in the Middle East and continued to attack Israel as well as other Gulf Arab nations. Among these attacks, one targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, igniting a fire. Amid this development, the US has warned Iran about negotiations.

What does Trump mean by “prepared to unleash hell” — is this a warning or a threat?

Warning Iran, US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said that US President Donald Trump does not bluff, and he would unleash hell, adding that Iran must not miscalculate anything about what Washington wants in West Asia.

While briefing the media, Leavitt stated that Trump prefers peace and postponed the strikes after Iran expressed its willingness to speak. She said, “President Trump’s preference is always peace. However, following his powerful threat on Saturday evening, it was made clear that Iran wanted to talk. As the President announced on Monday, the US has been engaged over the last three days in productive conversations, leading the President to temporarily instruct the Department of War to postpone planned strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.”

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She said, “Let me be clear, Iran should not miscalculate again. Their last miscalculation cost them their senior leadership, their navy, their air force, and their air defense system. President Trump does not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell if they refuse to accept the reality that they have been defeated.”

How serious is the U.S. warning to Iran — is diplomacy at a tipping point?

According to Leavitt, the US has hit over 9,000 enemy targets. She said, “The United States military continues to decimate the Iranian regime’s offensive and defensive capabilities. Just over three weeks in, it is abundantly clear that Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding military triumph. More than 9,000 enemy targets have been struck to date.”

It is to be noted that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the US is sending messages through different mediators, which “does not mean negotiations”, while another source said Tehran sees a 15-point US plan as “extremely maximalist and unreasonable,” Al Jazeera reported.

To recall our readers, the Iran-Israel and Iran war has entered its fourth week. The US-Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28 and the retaliation by the Islamic nation extended the war to the entire Gulf region.The US and Israel attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The joint strikes came after days of build-up, with Trump ramping up the pressure on Tehran to agree to a new deal on its nuclear programme.

The conflict has also taken a major toll on energy supply chains, especially across the Strait of Hormuz.

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