On April 21, speaking in a live program on CNBC, US President Donald Trump said he did not want to extend the ceasefire agreement reached in early April between the US and Iran. He also said that the US military is ready to act and may continue attacks if necessary.
However, Mr. Trump also expressed the view that negotiations between the US and Iran could eventually lead to a "great deal".
On the Iranian side, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the US had violated the ceasefire agreement. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also accused the US of actions contrary to the agreement, including the deployment of mine clearance operations in Iranian waters.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), US forces have imposed naval blockades on Iran since April 13, with the aim of controlling the operation of ships entering and leaving ports in this country. However, the Iranian side believes that this is an act that violates the ceasefire agreement.
Mr. Trump also said that Iran has repeatedly violated the agreement but did not provide specific details.
Meanwhile, Iranian military officials declared they would "retaliate appropriately" if the US continued to violate the agreement. Some sources from Iran also said that the country is ready for the possibility of a recurrence of conflict with the US and Israel if negotiations do not yield results.
Regarding the regional situation, an energy expert said that if tensions escalate, oil prices could rise to 150 USD/barrel. He also warned that the impact of the crisis could strongly affect developing economies.
Meanwhile, International Energy Agency (IEA) Director-General Fatih Birol said that the situation around Iran is causing one of the biggest oil crises in history, with widespread impacts on jobs and global economic growth.
Current developments show that the Middle East region continues to be a hotspot with a potential risk of conflict, in the context that the parties still maintain a tough stance but at the same time do not rule out the possibility of resuming negotiations in the near future.
