US-Iran Conflict Enters New Phase as Saudi Arabia Joins Strikes on Iran-Backed Proxies, Diplomacy Stalls Again
The conflict between the United States and Iran has entered a new phase, with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military operations against Tehran-backed proxy groups. At the same time, already fragile diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled once again as mistrust between the two longtime rivals continues to deepen
US-Iran Conflict Enters New Phase as Saudi Arabia Joins Strikes on Iran-Backed Proxies, Diplomacy Stalls Again
The conflict between the United States and Iran has entered a new phase, with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military operations against Tehran-backed proxy groups. At the same time, already fragile diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled once again as mistrust between the two longtime rivals continues to deepen.
Although the region had experienced several days of relative calm, both sides carried out fresh military strikes within the past 24 hours, raising fears of a return to full-scale war and a wider regional conflict. It also remains unclear whether either Washington or Tehran has a clear strategy for moving toward a peaceful resolution.
In recent days, President Donald Trump and his allies have claimed that Iran is eager to return to the negotiating table. However, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister said on Tuesday that Tehran has made no request to resume diplomatic talks for more than two weeks.
Following a failed attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan, Trump renewed his warnings against Iran on Wednesday while leaving the door open for future negotiations.
“They’ve already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we’re going to hit them very hard.”
Hours later, the U.S. military announced that it had launched what it described as “a powerful response” to the previous day’s attempted Iranian attacks on American forces stationed in the Middle East. The military did not immediately disclose the specific targets of the strikes.
The latest developments have created a sense of déjà vu, as Trump has repeatedly shifted over the past several months between expressing optimism that a deal to end the conflict and curb Iran’s nuclear programme was close, and issuing harsh threats in an effort to force Tehran to accept U.S. demands. So far, those efforts have failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough.
