Current mediation efforts led by regional countries, including Pakistan, to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have reportedly reached a dead end, as the war against the Islamic Republic was set to enter its sixth week, approaching the timeline US President Donald Trump set for the conflict.
Iran has officially told mediators that it is unwilling to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days and considers US demands unacceptable, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, adding that Turkey and Egypt are seeking a way out of the diplomatic cul-de-sac and looking at alternative sites to host the talks, such as Qatar or Istanbul.
But Qatar has resisted efforts by the United States and Middle Eastern countries to serve as the key mediator in ceasefire talks between the US and Iran, the Journal also reported, complicating the push to move forward with negotiations on ending the war.
Citing officials with the matter and mediators, the report said Qatar, which has served as a mediator with the Taliban, and also in negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war, told the US last week that it isn’t eager to mediate in these negotiations.
The reports came as the war continued to escalate, as it was set to enter its sixth week. Friday marked the first time since February 28 that the US lost an aircraft in Iranian territory, after Iran shot down an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft.
One crew member was rescued on Friday, and searches were ongoing for the second after an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft was shot down in Iran, according to a US and an Israeli official.
Trump told NBC News that the downing of the jet won’t affect negotiations over ending the month-old conflict with Iran.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war,” Trump told the broadcaster.
Separately, Trump was not yet ready to say what the US will do if the missing crew member shot is harmed, The Independent reported, citing a brief interview with him.
Trump said he could not comment on what his course of action might be if Iranian forces get to the downed airman, The Independent said.
“We hope that’s not going to happen,” Trump said.
The Kan public broadcaster reported Friday that Israel is prepared for another two weeks of war with Iran, noting that the time frame extends past the four to six weeks set by the White House.
Israeli officials told Kan that the war may even extend past two weeks, and preparations are being made for Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day under fire.
The US and Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Recent US intelligence reports warn that Iran is unlikely to open the Strait of Hormuz any time soon because its grip on the world’s most vital oil artery provides the only real leverage it has over Washington, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The finding suggests that Tehran could continue to throttle the strait to keep energy prices high as a means of pressuring Trump to find a quick off-ramp to the war.
The reports also provide the latest indication that the war, intended to eradicate Iran’s military strength, may actually increase its regional sway by showing Tehran’s ability to threaten the key waterway.
Trump has sought to downplay the difficulty of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil trade. On Friday, he appeared to suggest that he could order US forces to reopen the passage.
“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
But analysts have long warned that trying to use force against Iran, which controls one side of the strait, could prove costly and draw the US into a protracted ground war.
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