Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said Iran was desperate to make a deal to end nearly four weeks of fighting, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was reviewing a U.S. proposal but had no intention of holding talks to wind down the conflict.
Conflicting accounts of negotiations
Araqchi said there had been no dialogue or negotiation with the United States, though various messages had been exchanged through intermediaries. In a state television interview on Wednesday, he said messages conveyed through friendly countries and Iran’s responses were not negotiations or dialogue.
Speaking later on Wednesday at an event in Washington, Trump said Iranian leaders “are negotiating” and “want to make a deal” but were afraid to say so. Trump did not identify who the United States is negotiating with in Iran.
Escalation and leadership change in Iran
The conflict began after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, after which Iran launched strikes against Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf states. Many high-ranking officials were among the thousands killed across the Middle East.
Iran’s supreme commander Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict by an Israeli strike and was replaced by his son Mojtaba, who has been wounded in strikes and has not been seen in any photograph or video clip since his appointment.
Global economic disruption and energy shock
The fallout has spread beyond the region, with the conflict described as causing the worst energy shock in history. With the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, effectively closed, businesses from airlines to supermarkets and used car dealers are facing rising costs, weakening demand and disrupted supply chains. Some governments are weighing support measures last used during the COVID pandemic.
Humanitarian impact and food insecurity risks
Fuel shortages have spread worldwide, and farmers and fishers are struggling to source diesel for their tractors. The World Food Programme estimates that tens of millions more people will face acute hunger if the war continues into June.
How do you think the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could affect prices and supplies in your country?