Amid important ongoing talks in Doha regarding the West Asia crisis, two new military actions taken by America and Israel have further increased the tension in the region. It is believed that these incidents may have an impact on the delicate ceasefire process, for which continuous talks are going on behind the scenes.
The first military operation took place near southern Iran. US forces attacked Iranian military bases near Hormuz. America has described it as “an action taken in self-defense”. The second strike took place on missile sites.
What did the US Central Command say?
According to US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins, the action was taken against missile launch sites and Iranian boats that were allegedly preparing to lay mines in the sea route. Hormuz is counted among the world’s most important maritime trade routes, through which a large amount of global oil supply passes every day.
Speaking to Fox News, Hawkins said, “This operation was carried out to protect American troops from the immediate threat posed by Iranian forces.”
Why did America bomb?
Fox News quoted a senior US official as saying that two boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were seen laying sea mines in Hormuz. After this the American Army destroyed both the boats. Besides, a surface-to-air missile site in Bandar Abbas was also attacked, which was accused of targeting American fighter planes.
Will there be any impact on Peace Talk?
Sources related to the case say that these attacks are being seen as “defensive action”. He says that from this it should not be assumed that the ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran have completely broken down. Some Iranian media reports have also given information about casualties in this action.
What did Israel do?
The second major military activity was seen in Lebanon, where Israel has intensified attacks on Hezbollah targets. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has instructed the army to intensify the operation so that the Iran-backed organization Hezbollah is “crushed”.
In a video message released on Telegram, Netanyahu said, “I have ordered to further intensify our military operations.” This development has happened at a time when America and Iran are trying to finalize a comprehensive regional agreement. The Lebanese front is also believed to be included in this proposed agreement, where continuous conflict has been going on between Israel and Hezbollah since March 2.
Although a ceasefire was announced to come into effect from April 17, despite this, firing and attacks between the two sides continue almost daily. Due to this, instead of reducing the tension in the area, it has remained constant.
So far, there has been no official reaction from Iran or Qatar on these new military actions. Qatar is playing the role of mediator in this entire matter.
What is the update on peace talks?
The whole world is keeping an eye on the ongoing talks in Doha. Many senior officials including Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati are currently present in the Qatari capital. This round of talks is being considered one of the most important talks since the beginning of the conflict.
Al Jazeera, quoting an informed source, said that under the mediation of Qatar, a preliminary agreement has been reached between the US and Iran regarding Iran’s assets held abroad. This issue has been included in the main demands of Tehran.
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