Tehran Archives - CrossFireArarbia

Trump, Iran And The ‘Nuclear Fight’

CrossFireArabia
April 3, 2025

Experts say the Middle East region is poised on an impending war with the top protagonists being the USA, Israel and Iran. They stand on a military pedestal of violent conflict where Armageddon has become the new catchphrase.

The man at the center of it all is US president Donald Trump who has been elected on a so-called global “peace” ticket but is fueling the worldwide escalation with his rhetoric.

He is telling Iran, nay warning it, to either hitch out and agree to a new accord on the country’s nuclear file or face the American wrath where its Persian cities and nuclear facilities would be wildly attacked in a first-time development that is turning international relations upside down.

And so a war of words began between Tehran and Washington since Trump sent a stern letter to Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, telling him to submit to a new nuclear agreement to stall his country’s nuclear facilities or face extensive US bombing.

This was a callous, stark warning. The international system has never, till now, faced such discursive diplomatic parlance, even at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The Iranian leadership saw Trump’s verbiage as an outright threat and refused to submit, even telling US president that Iran will not be bullied and he can to “go to hell”, a comment made by Iranian president Massoud Pezeshkian. He was speaking for the Ayatollah and the top leadership in the country.

Since then however, and in spite of the occasional utterings, recently made by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Iraghchi that Tehran would respond quickly and heavily to any outside attack, both sides have been involved in a “jostling affair” issuing different and irk statements short of the war-mongering tirade Trump started.

Military brink

Today, and on the face of it, both sides appear to want to pull back from the military brink. The Iranians are now saying they would be prepared to negotiate but only indirectly through Oman, the country that has traditionally served as a consummate link between Washington and Tehran.

Whilst the Trump administration may be contemplating such a fact, although it’s on record for stating it would prefer direct face-to-face negotiations involving fully-fledged American and Iranian expert teams in the field of nuclear weapons and proliferation, Washington has not closed the doors to such an offer from Tehran and it is still considering it which means it might be softening its position.

But there is another snag to this. Iranian officials have stated they want confidence-building measures from the Trump administration and don’t believe in negotiations under threat but this appears to be what is happening today.

As the diplomatic chit chat continues, Washington is sending military reinforcements with jet fighters, mass bombs and missiles to the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Red Sea as part of their stepped-up fight against the Houthis and potentially against Iran, both of whom are against the Israeli military onslaught on the Gaza Strip which is being financed by the USA.

Thus, what is happening now is that both sides are involved in sending out mixed signals despite the military escalation and war of words with Trump in what is becoming his customary U-turns. He is now saying that he doesn’t want a fight with Iran and is prepared for negotiations.

But the ball is turning so to speak. For one thing Israel has long sought deadly strikes on Iranian cities and nuclear facilities and for it, today this is a “golden opportunity” being flanked and supported by US warships in the area.

Israel sees such a series of strikes as more urgent than before because after 2018 when Trump got the USA out of the nuclear deal, Iran started once again to boost its uranium enrichment program and many argue it’s very near to achieving a nuclear bomb and capability.

But that may be over-stating the fact, because Iran has always stated its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and its officials have maintained an official dialogue with the countries it originally made a deal with in 2015 officially named as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

So the current escalation may be tinged with diplomatic talk for although Trump maybe rash in what he says, there is usually a back up plan up his sleeve of not reaching beyond the military brink with brinkmanship being played at the highest levels.

This comment is written by Dr Marwan Asmar, chief editor of the crossfirearabia.com website.

News

After ‘Muzzling Out’ Trump Now Wants a Nuclear Deal With Iran

CrossFireArabia
March 8, 2025

President Donald Trump said Friday that “interesting days” lie ahead for the US and Iran as he seeks to either negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran, or pursue “the other option,” a likely allusion to military action.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the “next thing you’ll be talking about is Iran,” vowing “there’ll be some interesting days ahead.”

The comments came just hours after Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network that he sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging nuclear talks according to Anadolu.

“We’re down to final strokes with Iran. That’s going to be an interesting time, and we’ll see what happens. But we’re down to the final moments. Final moments. Can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

“We have a situation with Iran, that something’s going to happen very soon, very, very soon, you’ll be talking about that pretty soon, I guess, and hopefully we can have a peace deal. I’m not speaking out of strength or weakness. I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other, but the other will solve the problem,” he added.

Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York responded to a question about Trump’s statement that he sent a letter to Khamenei, saying they have not received such a letter so far, according to Iranian media reports.

Khamenei had earlier banned negotiations with the Trump administration, which he described as “untrustworthy.”

Senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, have frequently said they will not negotiate with the US under pressure and threats.

“As long as the US policy of maximum pressure and threats continues, we will not enter into direct negotiations with the US,” Aragchi said in an interview in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Features

Ahmad Al Sharaa: From Khaki-wear to a Blue Suit

CrossFireArabia
January 6, 2025

With the fall of the Assad regime, Syria has turned a new page, with the opposition forces now holding the reins of the country .

An 11-day-long opposition blitzkrieg forced Bashar al Assad to flee to Moscow, dealing a death blow to the regime after 13 years of the brutal war.

Though various revolutionary groups fought for this decisive moment, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which means Levant Liberation Committee, emerged as a dominant force under the leadership of Ahmed al Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al Jolani.

The US and its Western allies has designated the HTS as a terrorist organisation, putting a bounty of $10 million on his head, which was lifted recently.

But the 42-year-old Syrian leader has emerged as an indispensable force, wielding strong influence over the war-ravaged country. In late December, Sharaa met Turkish and Ukrainian foreign ministers as well as top diplomats from the US and the UK, signalling that he is the de facto leader of the new Syria.

Sharaa had a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during which the top Turkish diplomat “thanked” the Syrian leader for his “friendly” welcome to the country.

“I saw that he (Sharaa) and his friends had very clear ideas about the establishment and transition process of the new system,” said Fidan, referring to the transition process from the Assad regime rule to the new government.

Fidan and Sharaa also sat down for a tea stop in Damascus’s famous Mount Qasioun, which overlooks the capital. Mount Qasioun is believed to be the site of legendary events, such as the Biblical and Quranic figure Abel’s murder by Cain.

From a fighter in battle fatigues to a statesman in a Western suit and a trimmed beard, Sharaa’s transformation reflects the changes in the country since the fall of the Assad regime.

Since the beginning of the 11-day lightning offensive against the Assad regime, Sharaa has given several interviews and statements from CNN to Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya TV, reflecting a fair degree of moderation in his worldview.

He has pledged to ease sectarian tensions and rebuild the country along the margins of justice and equality. The HTS leader also sent a message to the Western camp saying that “your interests are understood in the new Syria.”

He suggested working with Russia, an ally of the Assad regime, and sent a conciliatory message to Iran, in which he offered to develop a positive relationship even though Tehran fiercely backed Bashar al Assad in the past.

“This new triumph, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region, a history fraught with dangers (that left) Syria as a playground for Iranian ambitions, spreading sectarianism, stirring corruption,” he said, during one of his first speeches after the overthrow of the Assad regime in Damascus’s Umayyad Mosque, one of the most decorated and oldest Muslim religious structures.

In his latest interview, Sharaa suggested that elections and drafting a new constitution replacing the current Baathist charter will take several years due to the fact that the civil war has led to a large displacement and a lot of disruption in many public services.

A moderate leader?

The Biden administration has also signalled that depending on Sharaa’s path, Washington might consider removing the HTS from the US terror list.

“We have taken note of statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days, and they’re saying the right things now, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their word, but their actions,” Biden said on Dec. 8.

In a recent interview, Sharaa urged the Western leadership to lift sanctions because they were “issued based on the crimes” of the Assad regime, which is gone after the opposition victory. As a result, “these sanctions should be removed automatically”, he said.

Not only the US but also regional powerhouses like Türkiye, which has backed the opposition’s democratic aspirations against the Assad regime, also closely watching Sharaa and the new Syrian administration’s ongoing policies.

With an overwhelming majority of Syrians having lost so many loved ones in the brutal war, they are now hoping for a long-lasting peace and a life with dignity and honour.

“I have an advice for him (Sharaa/Jolani), I hope he is smart enough to know it by himself: don’t even try to be the new Assad. The Syrians who did a revolution against Assad, can do it again easily against you as well,” says Omar Alhariri, a Daraa-based Syrian journalist.

“We are looking for the future, being a good part of it. We are waiting for justice,” Alhariri tells TRT World, adding that Sharaa should lead a process in which “Syrians themselves should choose their leaders” in a democratic process.

Sharaa has recently shown his openness to a democratic order, saying the HTS and its armed allies intend to form a “council chosen by the people” and a state operating through institutions.

In March, however, he faced large protests in his previous stronghold Idlib, where protesters accused him of corruption and suppression. It remains to be seen whether his moderate rhetoric will match his future actions.

What is his background?

Born in Saudi Arabia to Syrian parents who are from the Israel-occupied Golan Heights, Sharaa grew up hearing the stories of his family’s displacement.

During the infamous Arab-Israeli War of 1967, Israel occupied the Golan Heights, rendering its inhabitants, including Sharaa’s family, homeless.

Assad’s ouster under the leadership of Sharaa is, in a way, life coming full circle. His father Hussein al-Sharaa was a pan-Arab nationalist, who was imprisoned in the 1970s by Bashar al Assad’s father Hafez al Assad. After his release, Sharaa’s father sought asylum in Saudi Arabia where he worked as an oil engineer.

In 1989, when he was seven-years-old, the Sharaa family returned to Syria’s Damascus. The young Sharaa pursued journalism, studying media.

In the 2000s, the Second Intifada left indelible marks on Sharaa’s life. While his father had cultivated strong ties with the Palestinian armed groups affiliated to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the young Sharaa established contacts with radical groups like Al Qaeda.

“I started thinking about how I could fulfil my duties, defending a people who are oppressed by occupiers and invaders,” he said during an interview with Frontline in 2021, referring to the Palestinian resistance against Israel.

In the preceding months of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, he joined the Al Qaeda ranks, fighting against the American occupation.

By the mid-2000s, he was imprisoned by US authorities in Iraq and subjected to difficult conditions in America’s notorious dark sites for at least five years. On his release in 2011, Sharaa stepped into a different world.

The Arab Uprisings were spreading across the Middle East, reaching Syria too. Sharaa quickly joined hands with the anti-regime forces, launching another battle against the Bashar al Assad’s rule in Syria.

Toward being a top operative

After his move to Syria, Sharaa formed Jabhat al Nusra, the Syrian wing of Al Qaeda. In 2013, when Daesh wanted to annex Syria and merge it with the parts it had captured in Iraq, Sharaa rebelled, triggering a fight between the two groups.

While Daesh lost control across both Syria and Iraq thanks to an American-led coalition interference, Sharaa’s Nusra Front survived, partly due to its anti-Daesh stance.

In 2016, Sharaa rebranded his group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Front for the Conquest of Syria), indicating that the new structure has its own agenda, straining its ties with Al Qaeda. The next year, he once again changed the group’s name to its current format, publicly saying that the HTS has no connections with al Qaeda.

In the last seven years, Sharaa’s HTS has focused on Syria, increasing its hold over the Idlib province, which was the last opposition stronghold in the country prior to November 27, when the 11-day offensive against the Assad regime began.

TRTWorld

News

Katz: ‘We Killed Haniyeh’

CrossFireArabia
December 24, 2024

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz admitted, Monday, for the first time, it was Israel that was responsible for the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and it is Israel that participated in the overthrow of the former Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad.

Katz’s remarks came during a ceremony held by his army after the Yemeni escalation against the Iraeli occupation.

Katz addressed Sanaa, saying: “We overthrew the Assad regime in Syria, we struck the axis, and we will strike Sanaa.”

He continued his threats, saying: “We will damage their strategic infrastructure and kill their leaders, just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon.”

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the martyrdom of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in an assassination operation in Tehran, about five months ago, at dawn on 31 July, 2024.

The Israeli Maariv newspaper confirmed that the security and military establishments acknowledged their concern due to the escalation of the Yemeni threats. It described the Yemeni scene and structure as “very complex”, and that Yemen is not an “ordinary enemy,” according to JO24.

News

Israel’s Attack on Iran Condemned, Largely Seen ‘Performative’ by Social Media

CrossFireArabia
October 26, 2024

Palestinian National Initiative Movement Secretary-General Dr. Mustafa Barghouti said the USA tied Israel’s hands in regard to the Iranian response and gave it a free hand to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, given the Israeli occupation remains helpless without Western support according to Jordan 24.

Iran’s Call

Al Jazeera’s Tehran bureau chief Abdul Qader Fayez said Iran believes that the Israeli attack is “no longer clean” because it caused bloodshed, but at the same time it downplays its importance, stressing that it is less than expected.

The Iranian army announced the death of two of its soldiers while confronting the Israeli attack.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran early Saturday morning, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Four hours after the start of the operation, which Israel called “Days of Response,” the Israeli army announced that it had completed the attack on military targets in Iran, and all of its aircraft that carried out the attack on Iran had returned safely to their bases, and that the operation had achieved all of its goals.

Fake news published by some international media outlet with pictures not related to Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday morning

The first photo is related to the Tehran refinery explosion three years ago, the second one shows an Israeli bombardment of Beirut and the video is… pic.twitter.com/KM3OXvarNd
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) October 26, 2024

Fayez spoke about three levels that summarize the Iranian position on the Israeli attack on Tehran. The first is that it uses terms such as that the attack was weak, and that the losses were limited in terms of military sites, noting that the Iranian army confirmed the death of two soldiers.

Tehran also says that the Israeli attack was not as it had previously expected, at least according to the ceiling that Israel spoke about, meaning that it was not a “large-scale attack.”

On the second level, Iran says, through its informed sources, that Iranian anti-aircraft missiles succeeded in confronting the Israeli attack, which the sources said “was not successful,” and the Al Jazeera bureau chief said that this needs to be explained in a military sense.

Deny

The Iranian sources deny the Israeli narrative that Tel Aviv targeted 20 sites and missile batteries in its attack, describing this as inaccurate.

The third level, according to the Al Jazeera bureau chief, is related to the Iranian response, noting that it is not yet clear what Iran will do in the coming days. Fayez said that a source informed of the events spoke to the Iranian Tasnim News Agency, saying that “Iran is interested in responding to the Israeli attack,” which was previously repeated by military and political officials that any attack would be met with an Iranian response.

In its first comment on the Israeli airstrike, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Zionist aggression on Iranian military headquarters according to assawsana.

Violation

The Foreign Ministry said that this attack is a violation of international law and our sovereignty.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed it has the right to defend itself against any foreign aggression according to the United Nations Charter.

It said that the continuation of Zionist crimes in the region with American and Western military and political support is a factor of tension, and we affirm that we will use all our capabilities to defend our security and interests and our commitment to regional security.

Israeli strikes on Iran apparently failed to cause any significant damage, but Israeli propaganda is desperate to sell the attack as a huge success. This pathetic display is how they’re trying to save face after getting wrecked in Lebanon this week. https://t.co/ZXuSQYOQw9 pic.twitter.com/nARybYVMaH
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) October 26, 2024

On the other hand, the Politico website quoted an American official as confirming that no American military equipment participated in the Israeli operation on Iran.

The New York Times reported, quoting Iranian officials, that among the sites targeted by the Israeli attack was the “S-300” defense system at Khomeini Airport.

In Tehran Province, at least 3 missile bases belonging to the Revolutionary Guard were targeted.

Condemned by Arab World

Meanwhile Middle East states – including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, and Qatar –condemned Saturday’s Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory as reported in Anadolu.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry expressed “strong condemnation and denunciation” of the strikes, calling them a “blatant violation of [Iran’s] sovereignty” and “a clear breach of international law.”

The ministry warned that the attacks “fuel a cycle of violence and undermine efforts toward de-escalation and crisis containment through peaceful and diplomatic means.”

Qatar expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of Israel’s targeting of Iran, branding the attacks “a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and a clear breach of the principles of international law.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concern regarding the serious repercussions that may result from this escalation” and urged all concerned parties to “exercise restraint, resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means, and avoid anything that could destabilize security and stability in the region,” according to the Turkish news agency.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory.

Ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah reiterated the kingdom’s “absolute rejection of the dangerous escalation in the region and violations of international law.”

As well, the Jordan Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s territory, in breach of international law, adding that this attack is a violation of its sovereignty and a dangerous escalation that fuels further tension in the region.

In a statement Saturday, the ministry’s official spokesperson, Dr. Sufian Qudah, stressed the Kingdom’s “full” rejection of the dangerous escalation in the region and violations of international law, warning against slipping into a conflict that threatens the region’s stability and international security according to the Petra, the Jordan news agency.

A military source from the Jordan Armed Forces told Al Mamalaka TV that no military aircraft from the conflicting parties of the region have been allowed to transit through Jordanian airspace.

The source highlighted that the armed forces have been closely monitoring the military escalation in recent hours. The Royal Jordanian Airforce is on high alert and prepared to protect the nations, the source said.

The official stated this action also aims to stop Israeli violations of international law and UN resolutions and protect the region’s security and stability from the disastrous consequences of the continued Israeli attacks.

Also, Kuwait expressed its “strong condemnation and rejection of the Israeli aggression targeting Iran.”

“This act reflects the chaotic policies pursued by Israeli occupation forces, which violate the sovereignty of nations, jeopardize regional security, and disregard the principles of international law,” Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Egypt

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack,” calling it a “violation of Tehran’s sovereignty and a breach of international laws and norms.”

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry also issued a call for restraint, stressing “the importance of exercising utmost self-restraint and judgment to mitigate risks and prevent the expansion of the scale of conflict.”

It reaffirmed that “enhancing dialogue, adhering to international law, and respecting the sovereignty of states” are critical to addressing current tensions and that disputes should be resolved “through diplomatic means rather than confrontation and escalation.”

In Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Al-Awadi condemned “the Zionist aggression on Iran” and called for an immediate cease-fire.

Iraq reiterated its stance against any actions that could provoke further instability in the region.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is “closely monitoring the escalating tensions in the Middle East.”

My take on why the Israeli attack on Iran was largely performative @AJEnglish pic.twitter.com/auzeHnXB43
— Greg J Stoker (@gregjstoker) October 26, 2024

Egypt condemned “all actions that threaten the security and stability of the region,” warning of the current risks of escalation.”

Cairo reiterated its call for an “urgent cease-fire” in Gaza and Lebanon, while calling for “respect for the sovereignty of nations and the integrity of their territories.”