Iranian media reported, on Thursday, that Tehran had received a letter from J.D. Vance, US Vice President, but had not yet responded to it, in light of efforts aimed at reviving peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
The Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, stated that “Iran received the message, but has not responded to it yet,” while the Fars Agency reported a similar report, citing “a source familiar with the matter.”
In addition, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, on Thursday, that 3 tankers that collided with mines caught fire while trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz, a day after the US Army confirmed that it had removed mines from the main roads in the waterway.
The Guard said in a statement: “During the past 24 hours, 3 illegal oil tankers were exposed to explosions and fires as they collided with mines while crossing the unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz.” He added that the tankers “turned off all their radar and navigation systems” and ignored the warnings.
The chances of calm in the region declined after Iran rejected Qatari mediation, at a time when there are increasing indications of a renewed military confrontation with the United States and Israel.
According to an official who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday, it was hoped that Tehran would respond by the end of this week to Doha’s proposal. The proposal included “a timetable that begins next week and extends for 7 days to address the concerns of Washington and Tehran, through daily confidence-building steps that both parties are committed to.” However; Tehran did not find these “acceptable ideas.”
An Iranian official said that Tehran's position of refusing to show flexibility in the nuclear file "has not changed," noting that Qatar "has not presented a new proposal to end the war."
In Washington, US President Donald Trump did not rule out launching strikes on Iran after the midterm elections, scheduled for next month, and said: “Anything is possible.”
The head of the Israeli Central Elections Commission rejected reports of electoral fraud against the backdrop of the strong appearance of Arab parties in the elections held the day before yesterday (Tuesday), saying that there is no evidence that “Arab votes” stole the parliamentary elections, according to the German News Agency.
Dean Livneh, acting head of the committee, told the Kan radio network that there is no evidence that the Arab parties obtained the votes illegally.
A senior police official also described the allegations as propaganda tactics that have no real basis. He told Haaretz that there were fewer complaints about irregularities compared to previous elections.
Police Commissioner Daniel Levy stated that every complaint related to the elections will be investigated in a comprehensive and impartial manner. He added that if any criminal act is suspected, the police will firmly uncover the truth and hold those involved accountable.
For his part, the head of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, confirmed, according to what was reported by Israeli media, that “the list has nothing to do” with the accusations of forgery.
It is noteworthy that the Arab parties almost doubled their seats compared to the elections held in 2022, where they won 19 seats out of 120 seats in the Knesset.
