USA - IRAN: Anxiety peaks as ceasefire expires

 

The US and Iranian governments issued threats against each other on Monday, ahead of the end of a two-week ceasefire they declared, as uncertainty continues to surround the possible resumption of negotiations between them in the Pakistani capital.

A source familiar with the matter in Washington assured Agence France-Presse that a US delegation would depart "soon" to hold talks with representatives of the Islamic Republic; he did not give a specific date.

There was no official information circulating in Washington about the possible talks late last night, while the end of the ceasefire from April 8 between the two states, sworn enemies, after more than one war that set the Middle East on fire and shook the global economy, is now approaching.

The ultimatum expires "Wednesday night Washington time," Donald Trump told Bloomberg news agency, describing the extension of the ceasefire as "highly unlikely." It will end, in theory, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday Tehran time.

"We do not accept negotiating under threat and, over the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield," countered the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bayer Ghalibaf, via X.

Iran has not "at this stage" planned anything "for the next round of negotiations," "no decision has been made on this issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran earlier, expressing his government's doubts about Washington's "seriousness."

If American demands are not met before the ceasefire expires, "a lot of bombs are going to go off," Donald Trump threatened, this time on PBS, after earlier this month he threatened to destroy "an entire civilization" in Iran.

The US president insists that the blockade of Iranian ports will continue, "as long as there is no 'deal'", as he put it via Truth Social, assuring that Iran is losing "$500 million a day" in revenue, an amount that it "cannot afford", not even "in the short term".

In Tehran, where the main airports reopened yesterday for the first time in weeks, life seemed to have returned to normal, with cafes full, people exercising and walking in parks.

But what will be the sequel?

A state of anxiety that has become entrenched.