US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of not being serious about negotiations with the United States.
“The problem we’re having right now is that they’re not serious about talks. If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and also the interests of our allies,” Rubio said during the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting.
Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, and other regional mediators have presented a 10-day ceasefire proposal to the United States and Iran.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is reviewing the proposal and has urged Israel to avoid steps that could close the window for diplomacy, Axios reported on Monday night. However, Washington is simultaneously preparing for the possible failure of the negotiations.
At the same time, the Israeli army has been put on high alert and is preparing for a possible escalation of the war into a full-scale coordinated campaign within a few days, the report noted.
The new ceasefire proposal reportedly envisions a halt to hostilities, the resumption of shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and an opportunity for Washington and Tehran to salvage the memorandum of understanding.
