WASHINGTON, April 13. /TASS/. The US administration believes that the Iranian Armed Forces will attempt to break through the US military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in order to secure additional concessions from Washington, The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported, citing sources.
While refraining from military action, the Washington administration is intensifying economic pressure on Tehran and considering three potential scenarios. US authorities believe that the likelihood of a change in leadership in the Islamic Republic has increased following the ceasefire. In addition, the US administration believes that some Iranian leaders may support Washington’s proposals. According to the third scenario, the Iranian military may attempt to break the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz or launch new strikes to force the US to make further concessions.
Sources cited by Ignatius also revealed that following hours of negotiations in Islamabad, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf impressed the US delegation as a skilled and professional negotiator, as well as a potential leader of Iran. The report emphasized that US-Iranian contacts over the settlement are likely to continue through Pakistani mediators.
On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. The Iranian delegation was led by Ghalibaf, while the US delegation was headed by Vice President JD Vance. Both Tehran and Washington reported that the parties failed to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement due to a number of disagreements. Details of a potential new round of talks remain unknown.