‘Ball Is in Iran’s Court’: US Insists as Diplomatic Push Grows to End Middle East War

The United States said “the ball is in the Iranian court” on ending the Mideast war, as diplomats accelerated efforts on Tuesday towards a new round of peace talks after weekend negotiations failed to produce a deal.

US Vice President JD Vance had left talks hosted by Pakistan on Sunday, saying he had handed Tehran the “final and best offer.”

The Sticking Points

During weekend talks, the United States reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program , according to media reports. Iran proposed to suspend its nuclear activity for five years , which US officials rejected.

Washington has “no flexibility” on US control of Iran’s enriched uranium and a verification mechanism to ensure it does not develop a nuclear weapon in the future.

“It’s one thing for the Iranians to say that they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. It’s another thing for us to put in place the mechanism to ensure that’s not going to happen,” Vance said.

The Ceasefire Holds

Crucially, a fragile two-week truce agreed last Wednesday remained in place, even though a US naval blockade of Iranian ports began at the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump insisted Iranian representatives had called Washington since the US delegation returned empty-handed from Islamabad.

“I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side. They’d like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly,” Trump told reporters.

The Naval Blockade

A US naval blockade began around Iranian ports, an action announced by Trump on Sunday and slammed by Iran as a “grave violation of its sovereignty.”

Iran had already closed the Strait of Hormuz to what it regards as enemy shipping, allowing only vessels serving countries it deems friendlysuch as Chinato cross.

Trump said the bulk of Iran’s navy had already been destroyed, but that if any of what he said were Tehran’s few remaining “fast attack ships” approach the blockade, “they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

International Reactions

• China criticized the blockade, emphasizing the strait’s importance to trade

• UN chief Antonio Guterres called for freedom of navigation to be respected, pointing to 20,000 mariners trapped in the Gulf

• France and Britain will host a conference on a “peaceful multinational mission” to secure the strait

• Iran’s military warned that if the security of its harbors “is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe”

Iran’s Position

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the United States for the impasse.

“Unfortunately, we witnessed the continued excessive demands of the American side in the negotiations, which led to the failure to achieve a result.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran “will continue to talk only within the framework of international law.”

The Bottom Line

The ball is in Iran’s court, the US says. A naval blockade is in place. Nuclear enrichment is the key sticking point. World leaders are scrambling.

The ceasefire is holdingfor now. But the window for a deal is closing.

{Source: IOL}

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