Summary
- According to Iran’s IRNA news agency Araghchi also rejected reports suggesting that a meeting was planned between US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei in Doha, calling the reports baseless.
- Araghchi said US President Donald Trump should recognise that military action had failed to achieve Washington’s objectives and warned that economic pressure would also prove ineffective.
- US President Donald Trump meanwhile claimed that Qatar, Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait favoured maintaining the US naval blockade of Iran rather than launching further military strikes.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have approved the establishment of an advanced headquarters for their unified military command in Kuwait and agreed to deploy appropriate forces there according to Saudi state television Al Ekhbariya.
The announcement was made by the GCC secretary-general following the 23rd meeting of the bloc’s Joint Defence Council in Bahrain attended by defence ministers from member countries. No details were immediately provided about the proposed headquarters or the number and composition of forces to be deployed.
The GCC established its Unified Military Command at a summit in Kuwait in December 2013 to coordinate joint military operations and improve the defence capabilities of member states against potential threats to their territories, airspace and maritime interests.
The decision comes amid continuing regional tensions following the US-Israeli war against Iran which began on February 28. Several Gulf countries hosting major US military facilities have faced Iranian missile and drone attacks. The conflict has also disrupted aviation and maritime traffic raising concerns about the security of vital regional oil and gas exports.
Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has insisted that the conflict cannot be resolved through military action or additional sanctions arguing that negotiations based on mutual respect and acceptance of Tehran’s demands are the only way forward.
According to Iran’s IRNA news agency Araghchi also rejected reports suggesting that a meeting was planned between US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei in Doha, calling the reports baseless.
Araghchi said US President Donald Trump should recognise that military action had failed to achieve Washington’s objectives and warned that economic pressure would also prove ineffective.
Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council separately urged Washington to accept Tehran’s seven conditions for ending the conflict and stop spreading reports about alleged negotiations. He also called on the US to recognise what he described as a changing regional order.
Tensions have also intensified around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed that two oil tankers caught fire after attempting to use an unauthorised shipping route. According to IRNA one vessel struck a naval mine while the second was reportedly stopped after an incident during an attempted passage.
The IRGC also rejected claims that Iran’s missile stockpiles had been depleted. Brigadier General Ali Belali said the country’s domestic defence industry had developed the capacity to manufacture missiles, air defence systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.
US President Donald Trump meanwhile claimed that Qatar, Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait favoured maintaining the US naval blockade of Iran rather than launching further military strikes.
Speaking after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Trump said he would hold off on additional attacks for the time being following appeals from regional countries. He maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained non-negotiable although Tehran has repeatedly denied seeking such weapons.
Qatar has continued diplomatic contacts with both Washington and Tehran in an effort to bridge differences. Al-Thani described his discussions with Trump and Vance as positive expressing hope for an agreement that could restore peace to the region.
However, prospects for an immediate breakthrough remain uncertain. The US has rejected Iran’s proposed conditions which include ending the blockade of Iranian ports easing some sanctions and halting attacks in exchange for Tehran ending its restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the proposal as unrealistic.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged continued dialogue to prevent another escalation. On the military front Iranian media reported US strikes on Qeshm Island while tanker attacks and shipping disruptions have continued in the Gulf.
A state television reporter in Iran claimed that 11 tankers had been disabled over the previous 10 days while international maritime figures indicated a sharp increase in attacks on vessels since October.
