Recent aggressive moves by the Trump administration have clearly been meant to threaten Iran | Mondoweiss |
While Israel continues to ratchet up tension and anger throughout the Arab world with its escalating genocide in Gaza, its thoroughly unprovoked attacks on Lebanon and Syria, and its growing aggression on the West Bank, the United States is playing a very dangerous game with Iran.
The U.S. has been bolstering its presence in the Middle East, with deployments hitting record highs in recent weeks. A great deal of equipment seems to have been transferred to American bases in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.
Trump just stationed six B-2 Stealth Bombers on Diego Garcia
Gulf Arab states have reiterated their absolute rejection of the use of their air space to attack Iran. That remains something of a deterrent to Trump.
Yet that refusal is exactly what makes the deployment of the B-2s to Diego Garcia so ominous. That island is in the Indian Ocean, about 2500 miles from Iran. Planes launched from that base need not fly over any Arab air space to reach Iran.
The planes would have a longer flight, but it's well within the range of the B-2. The flight would also be over Iranian airspace for a longer period, but the B-2 has advanced stealth technology, so it will be harder for Iranian air defenses to detect and target it.
On Monday, while this massive military buildup was reaching its peak, Trump announced that he would be visiting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar in May. The timing of that trip seems odd if he intends to literally set the Gulf aflame with an attack on Iran.
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Iran open to diplomacy but US saber-rattling makes direct talks `meaningless': Araghchi
Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran and sent a letter to the country, to which he has received a response.
Araghchi said that the content and tone of Iran's letter were in accordance with that of Trump while preserving the opportunity to use diplomacy.
"Basically, direct negotiations would be meaningless with a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials," he added.
"However, we remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations."
[Iran prefers to use the existing channel through Oman for diplomacy]
Oman as a diplomatic channel | Tehran Times - 6 April 2025 |
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In this context, Abbas Araghchi announced that "the official response of the Islamic Republic of Iran was sent to the U.S. side through Oman on Wednesday, March 26, 2025." The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized that "this letter contains a detailed explanation of Iran's official positions regarding the current developments and a precise response to the points raised by President Trump, which were duly communicated to the opposing side."
What surprised all experts was that Iran chose to send its response to Donald Trump's letter via Oman, rather than through the United Arab Emirates, who had been responsible for transmitting the U.S. President's message to Iran.
Previously, a delegation from the UAE, led by Anwar Gargash, advisor to the President of the UAE, traveled to Tehran to deliver the U.S. President's letter to Iran. The letter had been sent by Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East [West Asia], to Mohammed bin Zayed, the President of the UAE, who handed it over to the Emiratis to deliver it to Iran.
The choice of Oman as the channel to transmit the response is no coincidence. In fact, by opting for this route, Iran sends a clear message that the Muscat route can be a key part of the negotiation process. This move not only underscores Iran's seriousness regarding the negotiations, but also highlights the priority Iran places on diplomacy through Oman, a key player in regional relations.
The choice of Oman as a mediator is the result of years of privileged bilateral contacts. Oman has historically been the country closest to Iran's positions in the Gulf, playing a key and constructive role in mediating several issues related to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
S. Arabia, UAE and Kuwait refuse to let US use air bases for possible Iran attack | i24 News |
This comes amid escalating rhetoric, both in the U.S. and Iran.
While Trump says he prefers diplomacy that will secure a deal over Iran's nuclear program, he has threatened that "there will be bombing like they've never seen before" if Tehran does not agree to a deal.
The source also confirmed that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait told the Iranians that barring the Americans includes supporting operations, such as allowing US refueling or reconnaissance aircraft to participate in any missions supporting such an attack.
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Moroccans protest Israel's offensive in Gaza and take aim at Trump | Arab News |
Tens of thousands of Moroccans on Sunday protested Israel's latest offensive in Gaza, putting fury toward US President Donald Trump near the center of their grievances.
In the largest protest Morocco has seen in months, demonstrators denounced Israel, the United States and their own government. Some stepped on Israeli flags, held banners showing slain Hamas leaders and waved posters juxtaposing Trump alongside displaced Palestinians fleeing their homes.
Organizers condemned Israel's ongoing military operation in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed air and ground strikes last month, aimed at pressuring Hamas to release remaining hostages.
Such protests have erupted across the Middle East and North Africa, where leaders typically worry about demonstrations undermining domestic stability. Pro-Palestinian rallies were also staged this weekend in the capitals of Tunisia and Yemen as well as in Morocco's most populous city Casablanca.
In countries that have historically aligned with the US, anti-Trump backlash has emerged as a theme. Demonstrators in Rabat on Sunday condemned his proposal to displace millions of Palestinians to make way for the redevelopment of Gaza. as well as the US efforts to pursue pro-Palestinian activists.
Still, many Moroccans said they saw Trump's policies as mostly consistent with his predecessor, Joe Biden's.
"(Trump) has made the war worse," said Mohammed Toussi, who traveled from Casablanca with his family to protest.
"Protesters remain angry about Morocco's 2020 decision to normalize ties with Israel."
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