Tehran responds to Washington's negotiation proposal as attacks in the Gulf continue

BarcelonaFor the first time since the start of the truce between the United States and Iran, Kuwait denounced attacks on its territory this Sunday. The United Arab Emirates also reported missiles heading for the country, which were intercepted by air defense systems, according to Dubai. These episodes are added to the crossfire of recent days between Washington and Tehran, and leave the Middle East truce increasingly in doubt. Meanwhile, developments on the diplomatic front are happening very slowly.

to the crossfire of recent days between Washington and Tehran, leaving the Middle East truce increasingly in doubt. Meanwhile, developments on the diplomatic front are happening very slowly.

On Friday, before leaving for the weekend to his Mar-a-Lago residence, Donald Trump said he expected to receive a response from Iran on Saturday to the latest US proposal to end the war. However, throughout Saturday, there was no news, and it was not until Sunday that Iran sent a reply to Pakistan, which has already forwarded it to the United States. The US president has been saying for days that he is "ready" to reach an agreement with Iran, but progress is slow and, at least publicly, positions are entrenched.

For now, details about Tehran's opinion on Washington's proposal are scarce. It has been reported through Iranian media that the ayatollahs' response to Trump would emphasize ending the war, especially in Lebanon. Israel launches missiles daily into the south of the neighboring country, with deadly attacks despite another ceasefire that is also faltering.

One of Washington's main objectives in talks with Iran is to limit the ayatollahs' nuclear program. So far, the White House has made it an indispensable requirement that this issue be addressed in negotiations, but Tehran wants to prioritize the resolution of the armed conflict and then, once that matter is resolved, focus on negotiations on enriched uranium.

Warning to France and the United Kingdom

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz holds a large part of the world in suspense due to the economic impact it has – and may still have – on the global economy. For this reason, France and the United Kingdom have been leading the preparations for a mission for weeks that should help facilitate the circulation of ships through this strategic point when tensions between the United States and Iran in the region allow.

As part of this mission, this Saturday the United Kingdom announced that the Royal Navy destroyer Dragon will head to the Middle East to "position itself ahead of any future multinational mission," according to a spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence. Until now, the British warship was in Cyprus, where it was defending British bases after attacks during the first days of armed conflict.

The move, which adds to the deployment of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle last Wednesday in the Red Sea, has put Iran on alert, which uses control of Hormuz as one of its major cards in the conflict. Control that, moreover, serves to gain power in the region. "Both in times of war and peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can guarantee security in this strait and will not allow any country to interfere in these matters," warned the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Garibabadi.