Stance shifts daily

US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran have made a lot of progress in their talks and neither side wants to see a resumption of the military campaign. At a White House briefing, he said the core issue for the United States was that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon as such a scenario will trigger a nuclear arms race. Meanwhile, Iran state media said Tehran’s latest peace proposal to the United States includes ending hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, the withdrawal of US forces from areas near Iran and compensation for damage caused by the US-Israeli war. As the world is eagerly waiting for a positive outcome of the mediation process initiated by Pakistan and facilitated by some other countries, there is a general impression that the United States is shifting its stance on an almost daily basis, complicating the environment for the peace process. However, what Vance said was also hinted at by President Donald Trump who told lawmakers that the United States will end the war with Iran very quickly. The US leadership, at the same time, is persisting with its policy of hurling threats of war on Iran despite knowing well that the previous round produced no winner and Iran is determined to defend itself with all means if the war resumes. Iran’s army warned it would “open new fronts” against the US if it resumed attacks, after Trump said he had held off launching a new offensive in hopes of striking a deal. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iranian forces are confirmed to be the first to down an American F-35 fighter jet, adding return to war will feature many more surprises. On the basis of statements emanating from Washington and Tehran as well as reports in the international media, analysts believe the two sides have made some progress in their indirect talks after the first round in Islamabad and the hard-hitting remarks are aimed at pressure tactics and a PR exercise to satisfy domestic audiences. The re