NEW YORK, April 10. /TASS/. The United States continues to deploy troops to the Middle East for possible operations, even as preparations for negotiations with Iran in Pakistan proceed, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
According to the publication, new fighter jets and attack aircraft have recently arrived in the region, and between 1,500 and 2,000 soldiers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army may be delivered in the coming days.
The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush, along with its accompanying ships, left the Norfolk naval base in Virginia at the end of March and is in the Atlantic, while the USS Boxer, with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, left its base in California in mid-March and is in the Pacific. Both formations will require more than a week to arrive in the Middle East.
On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Iran. According to him, the parties have resolved nearly all contentious issues, and Washington views Tehran’s 10-point proposal as a working basis for further negotiations. These include adherence to the principle of non-aggression, Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, uranium enrichment within the country, the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions, the payment of compensation, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region. Trump stated that the decision was made based on Iran’s willingness to open the Strait of Hormuz. In turn, Tehran agreed to cease "defensive attacks" provided that no strikes are launched against Iran. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is mediating between the parties, invited them to negotiate on April 10. According to the Iranian state broadcaster, the talks are expected to be direct.