The 60-day negotiation period outlined in a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran two months ago has come to an end, with the Strait of Hormuz still contested. The Times of Israel reports that little to no progress has been made toward ending the current war and that Iran has used the past two months to ramp up its fighting and weapons capabilities in preparation for a wider conflict.
The Wall Street Journal, citing Iranian and Arab officials, said Tehran believed the US and Israel were themselves merely buying time for a future attack, while allowing the global economy to recover from the pressure of the previous round of fighting.
Therefore, over the past 60 days, Iran has ramped up production of missiles and drones and tapped hardline figures to key positions, the report said.
The WSJ report asserted that Arab intelligence officials have pointed to a “strategic shift” among Iranian leadership to “get their forces ready to widen the war.”
Mohammad Hassan Sangtarash, a Tehran-based defense analyst, told the newspaper that “there is also a widespread view in Iran that the main war has not yet begun.”
No meetings between the U.S. and Iran have taken place in the past two weeks, with the Iranian regime at one point saying it would wait until the next U.S. presidency to engage in negotiations. However, Iran remains in contact with Qatari and Pakistani mediators as they continue to press the White House to try to restart talks.
At the same time, the Iranian military has announced a bounty for the capture or killing of U.S. soldiers—even though no U.S. ground forces have been deployed in Iran during the war, aside from the pilot rescue mission in April. An Iranian official has also warned that tensions in the Strait could spread to the wider region if diplomacy fails.
Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today to discuss the stalled Gaza peace deal. Kushner also met with Hamas leaders over the weekend to discuss the same issue, a move that has drawn criticism from both Israeli and Palestinian groups over concerns that such engagement could legitimize the terror group.
The Fellowship and our supporters pray for the U.S. and Israel during this time of uncertain diplomacy and rising tensions.