Mahmoud Abdelwahed
Efforts are under way to revive the stalled ceasefire talks between Iran and the US following the latest spate of attacks by American forces on several locations in five Iranian provinces.
Qatari negotiators are reportedly in Iran to meet with Iranian officials in an attempt to create conditions for a new round of talks and to de-escalate tensions between the two sides.
This latest round of de-escalation efforts came after the US carried out airstrikes that killed a 14 people and injured 78 others, according to Iran’s health Ministry. Airports, logistics networks, maritime surveillance assets and also railway infrastructure in northern Iran were targeted.
Iranian officials say that these latest strikes have increased mistrust between the two sides, especially after the latest statements by Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Turkiye, when he unilaterally rendered the MoU over. As a result, Iranian officials say the MoU is not built on trust, but rather on “commitment for commitment”.
Another factor is that Donald Trump retreated from his promise not to carry out attacks against Iran during the funeral commemoration of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
And despite giving his word, he attacked just as the supreme leader was being buried in the city of Mashhad. — Al Jazeera
