US President Donald Trump has suggested he is willing to oversee a lengthy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Trump said the US does not have to “rush anything” while “we have a blockade which allows them [Iran] no money”.
“It's a very simple thing: we cannot let them have a nuclear weapon – because they'd use it”, he said.
An extended blockade of the strait would risk further damage to the global economy. The US government assumes it will remain effectively shut until at least late May, according to a forecast by the Energy Information Administration.
Traffic through the strait, which before the war amounted to a fifth of global oil supplies, is not expected to return to pre-conflict levels until later this year, the EIA said.
A senior MP in Iran meanwhile warned that the country could enrich its uranium to weapons-grade level if the war resumes. Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday that Tehran could increase its uranium enrichment to 90 per cent, a level considered high enough to use in a weapon, if it is attacked by the US again, as a fragile ceasefire between the countries teeters on the brink of collapse.
“We will review it in the parliament,” Mr Rezaei said in a post on X.
His comments come as the US and Iran trade threats amid a ceasefire that President Donald Trump has described as being on “massive life support”.
Meanwhile, Iran has warned that it was ready to respond militarily to any American attacks and hinted at unexpected capabilities. In a post on X, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf indicated the country was prepared for retaliation and suggested it was still capable of escalating the conflict.
Mr Ghalibaf doubled down on Tuesday, saying there was “no alternative” to accepting Iran’s 14-point proposal. He warned that American taxpayers would “pay for it” the longer Washington delayed.
Tehran has also filed a lawsuit before a tribunal in The Hague over US attacks on its nuclear sites, as it seeks compensation for the war.
Iranian state media said a lawsuit was filed before a special court called the Iran-US Claims Tribunal, citing American “military aggression against Iran's nuclear facilities” as well as sanctions and threats of force.
Return to war
A deal between the US and Iran in the short term is looking increasingly unlikely.
Mr Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with the way Iran is handling negotiations to end the war, and some aides say he is now more seriously considering a resumption of major combat operations than at any point in recent weeks, CNN reported.
Retired US Army general HR McMaster, who served as national security adviser during Mr Trump's first term, also said he expects renewed American attacks on Iran, suggesting escalation is more likely than a durable diplomatic settlement.
Speaking on CNN, Mr McMaster was asked whether he expects full-scale military action to resume. He replied: “Yes, I do. This shouldn't be a surprise to anybody … the Iranian regime remains intransigent. Look at how many off-ramps they drove past.
“I think the chances are quite high there will be a continuation of this campaign [and] there will probably be an effort to forcibly open the Strait of Hormuz, which is within our capabilities.”
The continuing war with Iran is expected to overshadow Mr Trump's trip to China this week – the first by a sitting US president in nearly a decade.
Mr Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip had originally been planned for March, but Mr Trump postponed it, saying it would not be right to leave during the war with Iran.
On Monday, Mr Trump said he expects discussions to focus on Taiwan, energy and Iran.
“I look forward to being there,” he said. “He [Mr Xi] will bring up Taiwan, I think more than I will. But I think the discussion will be a little bit about energy, and about the very beautiful country of Iran.” He added that he has a “great relationship” with Mr Xi.
Experts say Mr Trump is expected to press China to reduce its purchases of Iranian oil as part of the US's effort to increase economic pressure on Tehran.
Lebanon front
A potential US-Iran deal is the “strongest card” for ending Israeli attacks across Lebanon, said Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, as he urged the Lebanese government to withdraw from direct talks with Israel before a third round of meetings scheduled to be held in the US this week.
In a speech on Tuesday, Mr Qassem repeated calls for indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, saying it would give Lebanese authorities more influence and prevent Israel from making “unilateral” gains.
He said direct negotiations offered “pure gains for Israel and free concessions from Lebanese authorities”.
The “Israeli-American aggression on Lebanon” is seeking to make the country a part of “Greater Israel”, with Israeli troops continuing to occupy Lebanese towns and villages despite a US-brokered ceasefire, he added. The Hezbollah chief said the priority should be to ensure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, a complete halt of hostilities, the release of detainees, the return of residents to southern Lebanon and reconstruction.
At least 380 people, including 22 children, have been killed since the fragile ceasefire came into effect on April 17, according to the latest figures by Lebanon's Ministry of Health.
More than four children have been killed or injured in Israeli strikes every day on average in Lebanon during the first 25 days of a US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Save the Children.
“This so-called ceasefire that still sees more than four children killed or injured every day is not a ceasefire for children. Attacks on civilians have not stopped – it has simply continued under another name,” said Nora Ingdal, Save the Children’s director in Lebanon. “Children are not safe until there is a permanent and definitive ceasefire with no violations.”
