New York Times: Tehran offered its own terms to end the fighting that include a demand for reparations. Israel, concerned that the war might end before it can dismantle Iran’s weapons programs, plans to ramp up its attacks…
Financial Times: “Our first and last word has always been, is, and will be this: someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you — not now, not ever,” the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s military command, said in a video message on Wednesday.
“Do not call your defeat an agreement. The era of your promises has come to an end.”
The statement reflected deep scepticism in Iran that the US president is serious about a deal, along with the Islamic regime’s belief that it has the upper hand despite the destruction caused by thousands of US and Israeli strikes…
Iran’s missiles pierce Israel’s defenses, raising doubts about interceptors
The speaker of Iran’s parliament, employing a bit of hyperbole, said Israel’s failure to intercept missiles in highly protected Dimona represented a turning point. “Israel’s skies are defenseless,” the speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a post on X.
Concern that Iran was amassing a missile stockpile capable of overwhelming Israeli defenses was a major factor in the push to renew strikes against Iran, senior Israeli security officials said…
U.S. Circulates Iran Peace Plan While Sending Troops to the Middle East
The 2,000 paratroopers heading to the region may give President Trump more leverage in negotiations, but they also leave him with the option of doubling down on military force…
Trump Tells Aides He Wants Speedy End to Iran War
Nearly one month into the war, the president has privately informed advisers he thinks the conflict is in its final stages, urging them to stick to the four-to-six-week timeline he has outlined publicly, according to people familiar with the matter. White House officials planned a mid-May summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing with the expectation that the war would be concluded before the meeting begins, some of the people said.
The problem is Trump has no easy options for ending the war, and peace negotiations are at a nascent stage…
Obstacles to ending war come into focus as US and Iran outline starkly different demands
Now, the United States is again seeking to return to talks after President Donald Trump’s about face on Monday when he announced the two countries were negotiating an end to the conflict –- but there are significant hurdles on the path back to the negotiating table despite public optimism voiced by the White House…
The Narrow Path to a U.S.‑Iran Deal
If both sides decide the costs of the war are becoming unbearable, they could cut an agreement that stops the fighting while deferring decisions on the toughest issues.
“It is possible that the U.S. will continue to insist” that it must achieve all its goals, “but it is also possible that a more minimalist cease-fire could precede a follow-on negotiation that addresses that fuller agenda,” said Michael Singh, a former U.S. National Security Council director for the Middle East now at the Washington Institute…
Iran war tests Donald Trump’s tolerance for ‘pain’ in oil market
Investors are hunting for the “pain point” that prompts Donald Trump to make policy pivots on his war in Iran as the US president’s social media posts ignite severe swings in the oil market…
Russia sending drones to Iran, western intelligence says
Russia is close to completing a phased shipment of drones, medicine and food to Iran, according to western intelligence reports that detail Moscow’s efforts to keep its embattled partner fighting.
Senior Iranian and Russian officials began secretly discussing delivering drones days after Israel and the US attacked Tehran, two officials briefed on the intelligence said. The processing of deliveries began in early March and was expected to be completed by the end of the month…
Trump Says the Energy Shock Will Be Short-Lived. CEOs Paint a Scarier Picture.
Some oil and gas executives are privately expressing frustration with the administration’s optimistic messaging and say the disruption is already far-reaching…
Trump Team Examines What Oil as High as $200 a Barrel Would Mean
The effort is aimed at making sure the administration is prepared for all contingencies, including a prolonged conflict, and is part of regular assessment done during times of strain.
A spike in oil prices to $200 a barrel would be an enormous shock to the world economy, and even at lower levels, oil at $170 per barrel for a few months would push inflation higher and cut economic growth…
Asia Is Getting Crushed Between Oil Prices and the Dollar
From India to Southeast Asia to South Korea, currencies are crumbling as governments race to secure fuel that is priced in American money…
Iran Is Drafting Law to Introduce Tolls for Hormuz Transit
The Iranian parliament is working on a draft bill to impose a fee on vessels seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan would legally recognize Iran’s oversight of Hormuz and formalize a unilateral arrangement already reported by the shipping industry, with payments being sought from vessels as an informal toll.
A toll and promises of safe passage raise complicated questions for the shipping industry, which is eager to rescue crews and cargoes but also reluctant to face sanctions and security risks…
US Troop Movements Fan Fears of a Risky Ground Attack on Iran
Among the concerns: any US troops who deploy will be poorly equipped to defend themselves against a drone-saturated battlescape fundamentally different from past conflicts. Iran has vowed massive retaliation and to lay naval mines across the Persian Gulf. Casualties could far surpass the 13 American servicemembers killed so far…
How a US assault on Kharg Island could unfold
Seizing Iran’s oil export hub by sea or air would choke regime but risks dragging American troops into open-ended conflict…
Nato chief riles Europe by backing Trump’s war in Iran
Mark Rutte’s suggestion that European allies would eventually “come together” to heed the US president’s call to deploy naval assets in the Strait of Hormuz has irked officials in several European capitals, alliance diplomats told the FT, exacerbating tensions within Nato over how far to go in accommodating its largest member.
“It puts us in a really awkward and uncomfortable spot,” said one EU diplomat. “We want to show willing, but it’s also true that we are not in a position to get involved [in the conflict] in any way.”…
Trump’s Threats to Europe Put Its Leaders in a Double Bind Over Iran
European politicians risk angering their voters if they join America’s war. Yet they could also face domestic upheaval if they take no action to reopen shipping routes that Iran has blocked and ease an energy crisis…
Trump’s Gulf allies push to have their concerns addressed before Iran war ends
Before the Iran war, US President Donald Trump’s Gulf Arab allies lobbied hard against strikes, fearing the attacks Tehran is now unleashing on them. As the war drags on, they fear a quick exit could leave them worse off than before it began…
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