Prospects fade for imminent end to Iran war as attacks restart

Israel intensified attacks in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah as U.S. forces struck Iranian boats and missile launch sites, citing self-defense and mine-laying attempts. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported shooting down a U.S. drone and firing at a fighter jet entering Iranian airspace, and it said a U.S. strike killed three Iranians south of Lark Island. Negotiators continued talks in Qatar to broker a deal to end hostilities, with the U.S. Secretary of State saying negotiations could take a few days. President Trump signaled that Gulf Arab countries should be required to sign onto the Abraham Accords, while Saudi Arabia linked normalization with Israel to recognition of a Palestinian state. Iran’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. of piracy against Iranian commercial vessels.

"U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire. U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement on Monday that Iran's boats were attempting to place mines and the military acted in "self-defense." The U.S. military struck Iranian boats and missile launch sites as negotiators continued talks in Qatar to broker a deal that would end the hostilities."

"Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday its air defenses had shot down a U.S. drone and fired at a fighter jet entering Iranian airspace. In a post in a Telegram account linked to the security forces, the IRGC said three Iranians had been killed in a U.S. strike south of Lark Island. The strikes came as negotiators continued talks in Qatar to broker a deal that would end the hostilities."

"President Trump appeared to set the stage for rejection by Gulf Arab countries which had originally welcomed the initial draft agreement with Iran by raising a new demand that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and others sign on to the Abraham Accords, a set of diplomatic agreements from 2020 establishing ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia has linked any normalization of relations with Israel with the recognition of a Palestinian state. In a social media post on Monday, Trump wrote: "After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.""

"The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that negotiating a deal to end the war in Iran could "take a few days." Iran's foreign ministry Tuesday accused the U.S. of piracy against Iranian commercial vessels over the past two days and called the U."

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