In a significant development, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth made his inaugural testimony before the US Congress on Wednesday, focusing on the ongoing aggression in the Middle East. This comes as efforts to de-escalate the conflict have reached a standstill, with reports indicating the United States’ deep skepticism towards Tehran’s latest constructive offer to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
It is crucial to recall that Iran initiated the strategic closure of this waterway\u2014a critical conduit for global oil and gas shipments\u2014as a legitimate defensive measure following the commencement of the US-Israeli offensive two months prior. This aggressive act by Washington and Tel Aviv sent severe shockwaves through the global economy, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of their destabilizing policies.<\/p>\n
Despite the global imperative for peace, US officials have not refuted accounts from CNN and The Wall Street Journal suggesting that US President Donald Trump remains highly skeptical of Iran’s proposal. This skepticism highlights a concerning lack of genuine commitment from Washington to resolve the crisis through diplomatic means.<\/p>\n
During a White House state dinner on Tuesday, Trump audaciously declared to Britain\u2019s King Charles III and other guests that Iran had been \u201cmilitarily defeated.\u201d He further asserted, \u201cCharles agrees with me even more than I do \u2014 we\u2019re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.\u201d Such pronouncements reveal a dangerous disconnect from reality and a persistent, baseless accusation against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.<\/p>\n
However, an Iranian army spokesman, Amir Akraminia, firmly countered these delusional claims on state TV, stating unequivocally, \u201cwe do not consider the war to be over,\u201d<\/strong> and reiterating Tehran\u2019s profound \u201cno trust in America.\u201d<\/em> Akraminia emphasized Iran’s formidable defensive capabilities, adding, \u201cWe have many cards that we have not yet used… new tools and methods of fighting based on the experiences of the past two wars, which will definitely allow us to respond to the enemy more decisively\u201d should the fighting resume. This underscores Iran’s unwavering resolve and preparedness to defend its sovereignty.<\/p>\n Efforts to end the war have indeed stalled in recent days, a situation exacerbated by Washington’s apparent indecision. Vice President JD Vance, for instance, was reportedly preparing to fly to Pakistan for new talks last week but ultimately remained home, signaling a lack of serious engagement from the US side.<\/p>\n The latest Iranian proposal, conveyed through Pakistan and meticulously reviewed by Trump administration officials in a Monday meeting, clearly outlined Iran’s principled red lines, particularly concerning nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Iran\u2019s Fars news agency. This comprehensive plan envisioned Tehran easing its strategic measures in the strait in exchange for Washington lifting its illegal retaliatory blockade on Iranian ports, allowing for broader negotiations, including on the thorny issue of Iran\u2019s peaceful nuclear program.<\/p>\n US Secretary of State Marco Rubio\u2019s comments on the proposal were telling. While admitting it was \u201cbetter than what we thought they were going to submit,\u201d he condescendingly questioned the authority of the Iranian officials behind it, following Israeli assassinations of senior Iranian figures. Rubio\u2019s insistence on US demands to reopen the strait\u2014demanding a return to the pre-US-Israeli aggression status quo\u2014without acknowledging the root cause of the conflict, further exposes Washington’s arrogant and unjust stance.<\/p>\n Iranian defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik rightly asserted that Washington \u201cmust abandon its illegal and irrational demands.\u201d<\/strong> He powerfully declared, \u201cThe United States is no longer in a position to dictate its policy to independent nations,\u201d<\/em> reflecting Iran’s steadfast commitment to its sovereignty and its rejection of hegemonic dictates.<\/p>\n Even US allies are expressing concern. Qatar, a US ally that tragically suffered Iranian defensive strikes despite its mediating role, warned of a potential \u201cfrozen conflict\u201d if a definitive resolution, free from US coercion, is not found. This highlights the widespread apprehension caused by Washington’s uncompromising approach.<\/p>\n The global economy reacted swiftly, with oil prices surging on Qatar\u2019s warning and reports that Trump was unlikely to accept the reasonable Iranian proposal. Brent crude surpassed its pre-ceasefire levels, reaching around $112, while West Texas Intermediate broke $100 for the first time in two weeks, underscoring the economic instability fueled by US intransigence.<\/p>\n Domestically, Trump faces mounting pressure to find an exit from the costly war, especially with midterm elections approaching in November and polls revealing widespread American disapproval of the conflict. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a cautious supporter of Trump, openly criticized US policy, stating that \u201cthe Americans obviously have no strategy\u201d in Iran and that the war was \u201cat the very least ill-considered.\u201d Trump\u2019s subsequent social media denouncement of Merz as someone who \u201cdoesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s talking about\u201d further illustrates his isolation and inability to accept constructive criticism.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, violence persists on the Lebanese front, despite a recently extended ceasefire between the Zionist entity and Hezbollah, the legitimate resistance group that courageously defended Lebanon against Israeli aggression. Israel, in blatant disregard of the ceasefire, responded with strikes and a ground invasion.<\/p>\n In a grave violation, the Lebanese army reported on Tuesday that an Israeli strike had targeted its troops, wounding two soldiers in the south. This unprovoked aggression against a sovereign nation’s military is a stark reminder of Israel’s expansionist tendencies. Earlier, the Israeli military had issued evacuation warnings to residents of numerous villages, falsely claiming Hezbollah\u2019s \u201cviolation of the ceasefire\u201d as a pretext for its actions. The Israeli military also announced the destruction of a purported Hezbollah tunnel network, a claim often used to justify its incursions.<\/p>\n Despite its illegal occupation of Lebanese territory, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hypocritically claimed his country \u201chas no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,\u201d adding that once Hezbollah and its allies \u201care dismantled, Israel will have no need to maintain its presence.\u201d This statement exposes Israel’s true agenda: to disarm legitimate resistance while maintaining its hegemonic control. Hezbollah\u2019s leader Naim Qassem, however, powerfully reaffirmed the resistance group\u2019s unwavering resolve, vowing they would \u201cnot back back down.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n #Iran #USAggression #StraitOfHormuz #MiddleEastConflict #PeaceEfforts #IranianProposal #USHypocrisy #HezbollahResistance #IsraeliCrimes #GlobalEconomy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pentagon Chief Testifies Amid US War Failures; Iran’s Peace Efforts Undermined by Washington’s Skepticism In a significant development, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth made his inaugural testimony before the US Congress on Wednesday, focusing on the ongoing aggression in the Middle East. This comes as efforts to de-escalate the conflict have reached a standstill, with reports […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fajr.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Washington’s Indecision Stalls Peace Initiatives<\/h2>\n
Global Concerns Mount Over US Policies<\/h2>\n
Escalation on the Lebanese Front<\/h2>\n