The current round of efforts by regional countries led by Pakistan to reach a cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran has reached a dead end, mediators said Friday.
Iran has officially told the mediators it isn’t willing to meet U.S. officials in Islamabad in the coming days and that U.S. demands are unacceptable, the mediators said.
Wall Street Journal, in its report published on Friday, said Turkey and Egypt are seeking a way out of the diplomatic cul-de-sac and looking at alternative sites to host the talks, such as Qatar or Istanbul.
But Qatar has resisted efforts by the United States and Middle Eastern countries to serve as the key mediator in ceasefire talks between the US and Iran, the Journal also reported, complicating the push to move forward with negotiations on ending the war.
Citing officials with the matter and mediators, the report said Qatar, which has served as a mediator with the Taliban, and also in negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war, told the US last week that it isn’t eager to mediate in these negotiations.
The reports came as the war continued to escalate, as it was set to enter its sixth week. Friday marked the first time since February 28 that the US lost an aircraft in Iranian territory, after Iran shot down an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft.
One crew member was rescued on Friday, and searches were ongoing for the second after an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft was shot down in Iran, according to a US and an Israeli official.
Trump told NBC News that the downing of the jet won’t affect negotiations over ending the month-old conflict with Iran.
“No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war,” Trump told the broadcaster.
Separately, Trump was not yet ready to say what the US will do if the missing crew member shot is harmed, The Independent reported, citing a brief interview with him.
Trump said he could not comment on what his course of action might be if Iranian forces get to the downed airman, The Independent said.
“We hope that’s not going to happen,” Trump said.
The Kan public broadcaster reported Friday that Israel is prepared for another two weeks of war with Iran, noting that the time frame extends past the four to six weeks set by the White House.
Israeli officials told Kan that the war may even extend past two weeks, and preparations are being made for Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day under fire.
The US and Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
