International Desk (EFE).- The new Iranian leadership conveyed its willingness to negotiate to both the United States and Oman while the offensive against the regime continues, which US President Donald Trump considered to be progressing faster than anticipated, although he predicted it could last four weeks.
According to the Omani agency ONA, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said that his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, informed him of Tehran’s willingness to engage in «any serious effort that contributes to stopping the escalation and restoring stability.»
Trump indicated in an interview with The Atlantic magazine that the Iranians want to negotiate and that he has agreed to do so.
The US leader did not specify when the new talks could begin, yet noted that some of the leaders he had spoken with died in the «Epic Fury» operation launched jointly by the US and Israel on Saturday, which Trump considered was ahead of schedule.
In statements to the British newspaper Daily Mail, Trump said they estimate the offensive would last «four weeks or so.»
Trump will return to Washington on Sunday, but he has monitored the situation thus far from his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he has spoken by phone with the leaders of Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE, which claimed to have intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 Iranian drones, reported that Iranian retaliation has caused at least three deaths and 58 injuries in its territory.
A hangar at a French base in Abu Dhabi, located next to an Emirati base, sustained limited material damage as a result of an Iranian attack, but France has not reported any injuries.
Iran threatens to avenge death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran promised to avenge the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died on Saturday during a military operation. They vowed to strike the US and Israel «with a force they have never before experienced.»
According to Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi, bombings against Tehran will not impact its ability to continue the war thanks to its decentralized defense system. In his opinion, Iran will decide when and how to end it.
He made these comments on a day when the Iranian capital received at least seven waves of bombings, causing damage and casualties that have not been reported.
Among the targets was Iranian state television, which was attacked in a bombing in Jun. 2025 that resulted in the deaths of two journalists.
Trump claimed that the offensive against the Islamic Republic has destroyed nine of its warships and the Navy headquarters, among other targets.
On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard claimed that its missiles had hit the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. However, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) later denied this claim.
Washington acknowledged the deaths of three US soldiers since the operation began on Saturday.
Over 200 people have died in Iran due to attacks by Israel and the US, including 148 people in a bombing of a girls’ primary school in Minab, in the south of the country. Meanwhile, there have been 10 deaths in Israel from Iranian missile strikes.
Warnings and threats to Iran from Europe
As of Sunday, the European Union has warned that the Middle East has a lot to lose in the event of a prolonged war. Its foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, demanded «maximum restraint» after an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers.
The bloc also emphasized the importance of maintaining «critical maritime routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz,» a strategic route for global maritime transport.
France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, the E3, warned on Sunday that they will consider measures to destroy Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones to defend their interests and those of their allies in the Middle East. They will collaborate with the US on this issue.
«We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,» the three countries indicated in a joint statement.
On Sunday, the shipping companies Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company announced the temporary suspension of shipping through the area. Tensions in the Middle East have also caused airspace closures in regional countries.
Even the Taliban government has called for calm, urging the crisis to be resolved through diplomacy and warning that otherwise there could be «long-term negative consequences» for the entire region.
Those who have condemned the Iranian attacks against Arab countries include Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia. Cuba, however, sent its condolences to Iran for the «assassination» of Khamenei.
According to its president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, this «execrable act constitutes an unscrupulous violation of all norms of international law and human dignity.»EFE
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