A senior Iranian official has suggested that hostilities between the United States and Iran may reignite, following recent remarks by President Donald Trump, who indicated that the U.S. might benefit from abandoning a potential agreement.
Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a prominent officer within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that a “renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely.”
The Iranian leadership, significantly weakened by U.S. military actions, is seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the U.S. blockade before resuming nuclear negotiations. This strategy was outlined in a new counterproposal submitted to intermediaries in Pakistan.
President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s offer, telling reporters on Friday, “Frankly, maybe we’re better off not making a deal at all. Do you want to know the truth? Because we can’t let this thing go on,” during a gathering in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The ongoing conflict, which flared up on February 28, has endured for what the president described as “too long.” A temporary ceasefire was established on April 8, but tensions remain high.
The conflict, which began Feb. 28, had “been going on too long,” the president added. A temporary ceasefire agreement was reached on April 8.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a Yemeni tanker was hijacked as it sailed toward the Gulf of Aden, Yemen’s coast guard said.
Efforts were underway to track the M/T Eureka, which was seized by unidentified armed men as it made its way toward Somali waters.
Tankers have been utilizing the Red Sea to get oil and gas resources out of the region in response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a US blockade.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control warned shipping companies on Friday that they could face sanctions for paying off Iranian authorities who have been charging hefty fees to allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
