[67580] Security and political drama: Trump postponed the strike on Iran, contacts for an agreement amid tough Iranian demands

Peak tension: Trump suspends the strike on Iran

In a surprising move, US President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed his forces to suspend the extensive strike planned against Iran, this following a request from the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE who reported on advanced contacts for a deal. According to Trump, the delay is intended to allow for the exhaustion of a diplomatic solution, although he clarified that the forces remain at immediate readiness in case an agreement is not reached. Conversely, in reports by the 'Wall Street Journal' it was noted that the Gulf states were surprised by his statement and claimed they were not aware of an immediate strike plan.

The Iranian conditions and the preparations for the future

In parallel to the contacts, the Reuters agency published the list of demands submitted by Iran to end the war: withdrawal of American forces from the region, payment of compensation, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets, and ending the naval blockade. Iranian officials declared that this is a comprehensive proposal, while in the West and the Israeli defense establishment there is an assessment, as published in Epoch, that Iran is not expected to agree to Trump's terms and that an agreement seems far off.

The naval campaign and military preparation

The tension in the maritime domain continues; the US military seized an Iranian oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, an event that is part of increased enforcement against the Iranian "shadow fleet." Conversely, according to the New York Times, Iran used the ceasefire period to rehabilitate dozens of missile sites, study the flight patterns of the US Air Force, and prepare for high-intensity combat, which raises concerns of extensive launches toward energy infrastructure in the Gulf.

Internal arena: Smotrich and The Hague

In the local arena, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded sharply to reports of requests for arrest warrants against him by the court in The Hague, and defined them as a "declaration of war." In response, he declared that he would sign an order for the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar, and called to deepen the measures on the ground as part of the response to European countries and the Palestinian Authority.