Iran Threatens Israel Amid US-Iran Tensions and Trump’s Strategic Deadlock

Following two consecutive nights of exchanges of fire, the night between Thursday and Friday was calm, and no renewed clashes between the US and Iran were reported through the morning. A US source indicated Washington is currently choosing to "let diplomacy lead." Regional mediators, especially Qatar, are reportedly working intensively to prevent the resumption of war between the US and Iran, with Qatar engaging both sides in talks.

Simultaneously, Iran issued a direct threat toward Israel. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated that the "most hated figure in the world" (referring to Trump) has again directed hostile words at the Iranian nation. He warned that any attack on Iranian infrastructure would be met with retaliation and that Israel, described as the "criminal Zionist regime" behind such acts, would not be immune to response.

Despite renewed diplomatic efforts, Iran remains uncompromising on its demands, and the situation appears deadlocked. Even before nuclear talks have begun, the parties have failed to agree on details of a memorandum of understanding already signed. President Trump recently declared the memorandum invalid in his view. Analysts note that Trump and his advisors have yet to present a clear Plan C after initial bombings and the preliminary agreement failed.

The US administration has reverted to oil sanctions and limited airstrikes, which Trump calls "devastating," but so far have only complicated the situation. Vice President J.D. Vance warned that any attacks on ships would provoke severe US retaliation. However, critics question why the administration believes this combination of economic warfare and military strikes will yield different results this time.

Richard Haass, a veteran diplomat, described the US as being in a "strategic stalemate," where increased US attacks provoke Iranian strikes on oil and energy infrastructure in the Gulf, with no clear US strategy to protect these sites. The recent escalation stems from Iran’s insistence on controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route, and rejecting the pre-conflict status quo of free navigation. The memorandum vaguely stipulates that Iran and Oman will discuss future management of the strait, leaving room for Tehran’s sovereignty claims.

The latest escalation began when Iran attacked merchant ships in the southern route near Oman, contrary to demands that ships use only the route under Iranian control. CNN’s analysis highlighted Trump’s limited and unfavorable options, describing his predicament as a self-created trap after initiating a conflict without a clear exit strategy and drafting an ineffective memorandum that failed to address the root causes of the confrontation.