Failure of US-Iran talks may heat up conflict — Russian Security Council

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The Russian Security Council has warned that fighting in the Middle East will resume and even intensify if negotiations between the United States and Iran fall through. "If the planned goals are not achieved during the negotiations, fighting may resume with greater intensity after two weeks," the Russian Security Council said in the commentary. "It's a big question whether the parties will strictly observe the provisions of the truce. Already in the first half of the day on April 8, the parties exchanged mutual blows," the Security Council said. "Coalition forces have launched an air strike on the southern provinces of Iran, allegedly in response to Iran's attempt to launch a missile attack on the territory of the Persian monarchies. "The issue of ensuring the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz remains pressing and unresolved to the end." Early on April 8 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz would open for the duration of the truce, but added it was not about ending the war. At the end of the day on April 8, Iran again stopped the passage of ships through the strait, justifying this decision by continuing Israeli military actions in Lebanon, which was one of the conditions of the truce. The Security Council said that on April 9 Tehran introduced alternative shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, skirting the areas where naval mines are located. To increase economic pressure on Iran, US President Donald Trump on April 12 announced the establishment a naval blockade of Hormuz, affecting all commercial vessels attempting to enter or leave the strait. Later, the Joint Central Command of the US Armed Forces said that the blockade would begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. GMT) on April 13 and would cover only ships traveling to or from the Iranian ports, the Russian Security Council said.