Darkness settles once more over the Persian Gulf, as the proposal by Iran comprising 7 conditions and a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 7 days appears to be rejected by US President Donald Trump.
According to The Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump rejects the proposal of Iran for an agreement within 7 days.
At the same time, certain Persian Gulf nations, primarily Saudi Arabia, insist on escalating economic pressure on Iran...
According to information from American intelligence services, the provision of satellite imagery and support by China has assisted Iran in threatening vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and executing more precise attacks against American bases in the Middle East.
Iran: Hormuz can open in 7 days provided the US accepts the 7 terms
Iran, speaking through Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, announced a 7-point proposal for an agreement with the US, stating that provided conditions are suitable and the environment is free of pressure and threats, the Strait of Hormuz can reopen within 7 days.
According to Al Jazeera, talks between Iran and the US in New York have entered a more technical phase, while Donald Trump also emphasized that «I spoke with the President of China regarding Iran.
Things will go very well».
The Foreign Minister of Iran stressed that if the necessary steps are taken, we believe we can conclude this process within 4 or 5 days, so that on the sixth day the Strait of Hormuz opens and on the seventh day the United States enters into the final agreement.
Regarding the proposed plan of Iran in negotiations with the United States, the Foreign Minister stated: «The 7-day deadline will commence once the United States accepts this plan.
If this happens tomorrow, implementation of the plan will begin from that hour».
«The measures that the United States must adopt have already been communicated and fall within the framework of the memorandum of understanding», Abbas Araghchi emphasized.
The 7 conditions
1) Immediate ceasefire on all fronts
2) Lifting of the naval blockade
3) Removal of economic sanctions
4) Drastic reduction of the US military presence in the Persian Gulf
5) Unfreezing of Iranian assets
6) Acceptance that the Strait of Hormuz will be controlled jointly by Iran and Oman
7) Agreement for a 60% reduction in uranium enrichment by Iran.
According to Iran: «If there is the requisite seriousness on the part of the American side, this will occur and the Strait of Hormuz will open again».
Iran announced its 7 terms to the American side. Now the ball is in America's court.
Iran maintains that «the reason the Strait of Hormuz remains closed is the non-implementation of American commitments».
«The Strait of Hormuz will not open via tweets or misleading news published by media outlets close to the White House».
Pezeshkian (President of Iran): We have zero trust in negotiations with the US
The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, stated that Tehran has lost trust in the negotiating track with the US, arguing that every fresh round of contacts is followed by sanctions, coercion, or military escalation.
He delivered these remarks during an interview with Al Jazeera.
«We no longer trust talks with Washington», Masoud Pezeshkian stated, linking the skepticism of the Iranian leadership to the experience of recent months and ongoing tensions in relations between the two nations.
Despite this climate, channels of communication have not closed entirely.
According to the Iranian President, Qatar and Pakistan currently function as primary intermediaries in indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington, conveying messages from one party to the other.
The involvement of the two nations in this process has been substantiated by prior diplomatic initiatives.
Masoud Pezeshkian also emphasized that contacts with the US continue to rest upon a previous memorandum of understanding, calling on the American administration to clarify its posture toward that specific framework.
The Wall Street Journal: Trump weighs resuming strikes against Iran
US President Donald Trump rejected the proposal by Iran for a ceasefire within 7 days and told associates that strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran may resume after the US Congressional elections in November, as underscored by The Wall Street Journal.
While China hopes that the US and Iran will reach an agreement, according to an administration source in Washington, «Trump rejected the proposal of Iran for a ceasefire within 7 days and told associates that he anticipates the resumption of airstrikes against Iran following the midterm elections in November».
The Wall Street Journal notes that Donald Trump «harbors reservations as to whether Iran will satisfy his demands and has told associates that he considers the resumption of airstrikes likely».
The article clarifies that Donald Trump has not yet decided on the scale of potential strikes.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the American leader does not favor the «resumption of large-scale military operations», partly due to the depletion of American munitions stockpiles.
Baghdad: We are negotiating directly with the United States to exempt certain airports from sanctions on Iranian flights
The media office of the Iraqi Prime Minister stated that the Iraqi government is conducting direct talks with the American side, seeking to have several of the country's airports exempted from the recent measure by the US Department of the Treasury regarding flights by Iranian air carriers to regional airports.
According to the statement, the Iraqi government stressed the need to de-escalate the situation across the region and warned that the perpetuation of crises will compound regional instability.
The media office of the Iraqi Prime Minister also called on all parties to return to the path of dialogue and negotiations to reach solutions terminating the current crisis and clashes, in order to guarantee the interests of the region's nations and peoples.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates press Trump to maintain economic pressure on Iran, Qatar opposes
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging the administration of Donald Trump to preserve economic pressure and sanctions against Iran, while Qatar supports negotiations, including a proposal to halt hostilities under a 7-day blueprint aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz.
The Wall Street Journal reported: Gulf states diverge regarding efforts to revive talks between the United States and Iran.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging the administration of Donald Trump to sustain economic pressure and sanctions.
Saudi Arabia believes that Iran must face greater pressure prior to concluding any agreement, pointing to strikes against vessels in the Persian Gulf and actions carried out by the Houthis in Yemen.
Qatar and Oman favor the phased opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the attainment of a diplomatic settlement.
Shocking CIA assessment: China stands behind Iran, American bases in the Persian Gulf hit under its guidance
According to American intelligence agencies, the provision of satellite imagery and support from China has assisted Iran in threatening vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and executing more precise attacks against American bases in the Middle East.
With the assistance of Chinese satellite imagery and thermal drones, Iranian forces can effectively monitor US escort operations and execute strikes at optimal moments.
According to a series of recent assessments by American intelligence services, which were described to CNN by four sources familiar with the matter, the provision of satellite imagery and support by Chinese entities assisted Iran in menacing maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz and unleashing more precise attacks against American military bases in the Middle East, as part of a dramatic increase in Iranian targeting capabilities in recent months.
According to these sources, satellite imagery enabled Iran to strike an American base in Jordan in July.
An attack that killed 3 American service members, and which American officials believe achieved precision beyond the organic capabilities of Iran under normal conditions.
An American official stated that geospatial data from China has also increased the capacity of Iran to monitor vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, giving Iranian drones and missiles higher chances of striking targets.
The data has enabled Iran to utilize heat-seeking drones (which are less advanced and cannot receive mid-flight guidance) to threaten ships by timing launches.
Assistance from China partly explains why Iran has grown increasingly accurate in strikes in recent months, although sources emphasized that this represents only one element in mounting Iranian military efficacy.
Russia has likewise extended assistance to Tehran, and certain American officials have pointed to the expanding combat experience of Iranian forces in the conflict as a major factor.
American officials state that determining the exact scope of assistance from China remains difficult, partly because it remains unclear whether the government of China formally ordered the aid or simply extended tacit consent.
Certain American officials also diverge regarding the scale of assistance from China.
However, another source familiar with American intelligence stated that recent reports suggest that China would prefer an end to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which have caused a sharp rise in global oil prices.
Tactics of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz
American officials and independent analysts view the Strait of Hormuz as the primary leverage point of Iran.
Iran continues targeting military escorts and commercial vessels of the US, launching large salvos of heat-seeking drones at ships once they reach a specific geographic point along the waterway. An American official described that location as the «hook».
Sources stated that the technology utilized in the thermal drones of Iran is not considered highly advanced, but Iranian forces have demonstrated that with the aid of Chinese satellite imagery, they can effectively track US escort operations and unleash attacks at the most advantageous moment.
The operational tempo can also be exceptionally high, an official stated.
During a recent escort mission, American forces intercepted more than 12 Iranian missiles and downed nearly 20 unmanned aerial vehicles, while simultaneously engaging roughly 60 targets around the Strait of Hormuz.
This intelligence support supplements technical assistance from China and Russia, which has helped Iran refine guidance systems for missiles and unmanned aircraft.
However, in certain instances at least (including the July strike on an American base in Jordan), American officials agree that intelligence data provided by China played a decisive role.
«There is a reason their targeting has improved, and that is because they receive some form of assistance. Acquiring battlefield experience is useful, but having a helping hand is also an enormous asset».
The Wall Street Journal was the first outlet to report that Iran utilized Chinese satellite data in its July strike on an American base in Jordan.
«They have improved because we essentially gave them more time to train», stated another source familiar with recent assessments.
The same source noted that China has also extended assistance to Iran in the form of air defense systems.
Several American officials have also expressed deep concern regarding America’s apparent vulnerability to missiles and drones operating at low to medium altitudes, in contrast to higher-altitude projectiles for which the United States has deployed expensive and highly advanced air defense systems.
This issue has compelled the United States to deploy additional defensive systems across certain military bases and diplomatic sites in the Middle East.
Iran also demonstrated that it possessed the capability to strike American bases in the Middle East after Donald Trump ordered the assassination of a senior Iranian commander during his first term.
However, several American officials note that the technical proficiency of Iran to strike targets with precision has expanded significantly since that time.
«Iranian attacks during the initial months of the war caused damage or destruction to hundreds of buildings and structures across American bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan».
US CENTCOM «relocated personnel, assets, and storage facilities», while its own forces, equipment, and depots became targets of Iranians and their proxies.
The importation of dual-use components by Iran has also turned into a primary concern for American officials, particularly given the recent ability of Iran to rebuild its military capabilities and industrial manufacturing base.
«Without Chinese components, they likely could not continue waging the war in the same manner. It is that simple», stated an American official.
However, another official added that the replenishment process of military reserves and hardware by Iran aligned with previous assessments of American intelligence services, and was also an outcome of the decision by Donald Trump to halt combat operations entirely before the American military completed its comprehensive list of targets.
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