On January 31, US President Donald Trump had noteworthy shares about the tense situation in the Middle East. He said that Iran is actively negotiating with the US and hinted at the possibility of reaching an agreement to avoid military strikes.
Mr. Trump said that Iran is becoming more pragmatic when seeing the US fleet approaching them. "They are negotiating with us. We have a large fleet approaching, but let's wait and see if any agreement can be reached," he summarized the situation.
The US President also emphasized the absolute confidentiality of this operation. He said that even the closest allies in the region were not informed in detail about the operational plan. According to him, the element of secrecy is paramount and early disclosure may cause unnecessary risks.
This tough move comes after Washington accused Tehran of strongly suppressing domestic protests, forcing the US to deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to deter.
In parallel with military pressure, diplomatic channels are operating at full capacity. Qatar's Prime Minister was in Tehran on January 31 to mediate.
On the Iranian side, Mr. Ali Larijani - Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council - confirmed that the "negotiation structures" are progressing, contrary to the media noise. This statement was made just one day after the Kremlin confirmed that Mr. Larijani had an important meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, showing Russia's indispensable bridge role in this geopolitical chessboard.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that the country never wants conflict to occur. In a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart, he emphasized that conflict will not benefit any party, including the US or the region.
However, the Iranian military maintains high alert. General Amir Hatami - Commander of the Iranian army - warned that his forces are in a state of "complete combat readiness". He declared: "If the enemy makes a mistake, they will certainly endanger their own security and the Israeli regime's.
Tehran also denied rumors of domestic security incidents, claiming that the explosion at Bandar Abbas port on January 31 was only due to a gas leak. Meanwhile, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it would conduct 2-day live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz - the world's oil artery - as a strong response to pressure from the West.
