"U.S. forces in the Middle East and officials in the Pentagon spent those closing hours preparing for a massive bombing campaign on Iranian infrastructure, and trying to figure out where Trump was leaning. Allies in the region were bracing for Iranian retaliation on an unprecedented scale."
"The U.S. envoy told the mediators the 10-point counter-proposal the U.S. had just received from Iran was 'a disaster, a catastrophe.' That began a 'chaotic' day of amendments, with the Pakistani mediators passing new drafts between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi."
"Facing an active threat of assassination by Israel, Khamenei has been communicating primarily via runners passing notes. Two sources described Khamenei's blessing for his negotiators to cut a deal as a 'breakthrough.'"
U.S. forces in the Middle East prepared for a significant bombing campaign against Iranian infrastructure, while allies anticipated Iranian retaliation. Civilians in Iran fled their homes. A chaotic day of negotiations ensued, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff labeling Iran's counter-proposal a disaster. Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey facilitated discussions, leading to U.S. approval for a two-week ceasefire proposal. Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's involvement was crucial, as he communicated secretly due to assassination threats. His approval for a deal was seen as a breakthrough, with China advising Iran to seek a resolution.
Read at Axios
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]