On Saturday, US President Donald Trump repeated his statements about ending the war with Iran “very soon,” suggesting that this will happen after the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November, at a time when regional and international movements are increasing to contain the repercussions of the war, most notably the navigation crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters in Dublin, Ireland, after his meeting with the country's President, Catherine Connolly, that Tehran is "trying to hold out as long as possible to complicate the elections," adding that he believes the Americans are "aware of this."
The US President linked the end of the war to energy prices, saying that oil prices would “collapse” severely once the fighting ended.
He also reiterated his assertion that Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon, and said that things “will go well” with regard to Iran.
In response to a question about the possibility of helping to ensure the smooth flow of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said that the war will end soon, but at the same time he expressed his belief that Iran possesses missiles capable of targeting European cities.
Pezeshkian: We don't need a policeman
For his part, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that his country does not want the war to continue, stressing that peace is a priority for Tehran. During a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Pezeshkian said that the Middle East “does not need a policeman,” in reference to the United States, adding that the security of the region “can only be guaranteed by its main parties and the countries that constitute it.”
He stressed, according to what was reported by the Iranian presidency: “Despite everything our people have been exposed to, we do not desire war or its continuation,” noting that Iran seeks to make its relations with neighboring and Muslim countries “more rational and stable.”
The war broke out on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz through attacks and threats against ships. This led to disruption of navigation traffic and increased concerns about global energy supplies.
New arrangements for navigation
In an indication of the possibility of reaching new navigation arrangements, Pezeshkian hinted at the possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but linked this to the United States ending its naval blockade and military attacks on Iranian ports.
The Iranian news agency ISNA said that Pezeshkian made these statements during an interview with the Indian channel “India Today”. These statements come before an upcoming meeting in the Sultanate of Oman, on Monday, which Pezeshkian referred to, to discuss regional issues, including navigation movement in the strait.
Iran and the Sultanate of Oman had been conducting negotiations for months on regulating navigation through Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global energy supplies passed, before the outbreak of war.
Iranian reports had spoken of an expected agreement between Tehran and Muscat regarding new shipping routes through the strait, in the presence of foreign ministers from Arab countries overlooking the Gulf, with the agreement to be later submitted to the International Maritime Organization.
But on Saturday, a senior Iranian official reduced the possibility of signing an agreement on the Strait during a meeting on Monday. Reuters quoted the official, who requested anonymity, as saying that the meeting will allow discussion of a number of regional issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, but will not necessarily end in an agreement on the waterway.
He explained that Tehran is still seeking to reach an agreement that would allow it to impose fees on ships crossing the strait, which the Sultanate of Oman rejects.
Bahrain announced that it will not participate in the meeting expected on Monday with Iran. The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Manama “will not be a party to any meeting that includes Iran before the return of diplomatic relations between the two countries,” stressing that the dialogue cannot go beyond what it described as the facts, and reminding that Bahrain was subjected during the war to attacks from Iran that targeted its infrastructure and civilian objects.
A call for BRICS to play a role in peace
This coincided with the escalation of tension in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, after the United States and Iran opened fire on oil tankers, which contributed to pushing global crude prices to rise.
In New Delhi, on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the BRICS group to play a role in ending the war in the Middle East.
In a speech during the group's summit, Xi said that Beijing will work with other member states to play the role of a "peacemaker," noting that war "does not serve the common interests of the international community."
The BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE. Xi said that his country will assume the presidency of the group next year and will host its 19th summit.
Moscow strengthens its presence in Bushehr
In light of the continuing war and its repercussions on Iranian facilities, the Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom announced its intention to increase the number of specialists working at the Iranian Bushehr nuclear plant to about 150 people in the near future.
The company, which is building two new units in Bushehr, evacuated hundreds of employees after the American and Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28.
In Washington, a senior official in the US Department of Defense said that Congress needs to act to fund the US administration’s request, amounting to $1.5 trillion, if the army is to work to rebuild its stocks of air defense interception missiles and long-range strike weapons that were used extensively during the war with Iran.
Michael Duffy, Undersecretary of Defense for Procurement and Sustainability, said that the Pentagon needs funding to meet the needs of the forces, noting that the ministry is working to reform the procurement system and conclude long-term contracts with defense industry companies.
Duffy stressed that the full amount required is necessary to achieve the goals of the Trump administration, adding that the Pentagon will work with Congress in the coming months to ensure the provision of funding.
He also explained that enabling the ministry to conclude seven-year production contracts with defense companies would stimulate the industry to pump investments and increase production rates of major ammunition.
This demand comes at a time when attention is turning to the midterm congressional elections in November, the timing of which Trump links, remarkably, to a possible date for the end of the war with Iran and a decline in oil prices.
