U.S. And Iran Continue To Escalate. China Began a Push To Bring Them Back To The Negotiating Table

Pakistan began a new China-led push to get the U.S. and Iran to negotiate, according to a new report.

Reuters detailed that the country began exploratory discussions during a recent visit from the Iranian Interior Minister to Islamabad this week.

Eskandar Momeni is considered close to the country’s powerful revolutionary guard and met with Pakistani chief Asim Munir.

“The Chinese are unhappy because Iran’s attacks on other Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are hitting their interests,” a Pakistani government official told the outlet.

China’s foreign ministry, in turn, said the country “supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan and other parties.” It added that Beijing will continue to play “an active role in restoring peace and tranquility in the Middle East Gulf region as soon as possible.”

The report follows another from The New York Times on Friday, which claimed that Iran rejected a ceasefire proposal sent by the U.S. through the Iraqi prime minister.

The outlet noted that Ali al-Zaidi conveyed the proposal to Tehran after visiting Washington earlier this month.

However, he was told that Tehran was not interested in a “temporary deal” that would not address the status of the Hormuz Strait, a sticking point in negotiations that led to the current flare up.

At the same time, President Donald Trump told Axios that he is close to making a decision on whether to launch a “massive attack” against Iran.

“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” the president told the outlet.

He went on to say that Tehran wants to negotiate but he believes the regime has not “received enough pain yet.”

Elsewhere, Reuters detailed that Tehran flew military commanders and equipment to Yemen to help the Houthis enforce their blockade of Saudi oil going through the Red Sea. The outlet claimed that the flight took place on July 13 and involved at least 10 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including senior commanders.

“The IRGC commanders travelled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems,” one source told the outlet, adding that the flight also included gold to fund the activities.