U.S. President Donald Trump has said a resumption of war with Iran is very unlikely, provided negotiations continue to make progress. He made the remark in an interview with CNN, adding that the outcome depends on whether a durable agreement is signed on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and on Iran's nuclear energy programme.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Iranian negotiators have not met their counterparts since the midterm elections. He told state media, as reported by AFP, that it would take time before conditions were favourable for resuming mediators' trips.
Araghchi said Washington's and Tehran's positions had been discussed intensively before election day on 3 November, with Qatar and Pakistan playing key mediating roles. Since then, diplomatic efforts have largely been quiet, according to the reports.
In the same CNN interview, Trump said the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges that he said could be destroyed within an hour. Separately, Trump said the United States had carried out new limited strikes on Iran, saying a small air defence installation had been destroyed within about five to fifteen minutes. Iranian state news agency Irna said the island of Qeshm had been hit by at least two missiles late on Friday evening.
The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran's nuclear programme, and the U.S. military has set up Task Force Iron Gate to restrict the movement of weapons and sanctioned material across Iran's borders. Central Command said its naval blockade of Iranian ports has prevented the export of more than $25 billion in crude oil. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful.
The midterm elections on 3 November also produced a sharp shift in the American political landscape, with Democrats winning control of the House and extending their Senate majority. Araghchi had linked the vote to criticism of the war, saying American voters had made their choice and that it was now the White House's turn to act.