The war between the US and Iran is “likely” to restart, a senior Iranian official predicted on the heels of comments by President Trump that the US might be “better off” without an agreement.
A “renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely,” said Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a high-level officer in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran’s leadership, which has been decimated by US strikes, wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade before reestablishing nuclear talks, according to details of its latest counterproposal, which was presented to intermediaries in Pakistan.
Trump told reporters Friday he was “not satisfied” with the offer.
“Frankly, maybe we’re better off not making a deal at all. Do you want to know the truth? Because we can’t let this thing go on,” he said Friday during an event in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The conflict, which began Feb. 28, had “been going on too long,” the president added. A temporary ceasefire agreement was reached on April 8.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a Yemeni tanker was hijacked as it sailed toward the Gulf of Aden, Yemen’s coast guard said.
Efforts were underway to track the M/T Eureka, which was seized by unidentified armed men as it made its way toward Somali waters.
It’s unclear who was at fault and if the incident was related to the conflict in Iran.
Tankers have been utilizing the Red Sea to get oil and gas resources out of the region in response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a US blockade.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control warned shipping companies on Friday that they could face sanctions for paying off Iranian authorities who have been charging hefty fees to allow safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
