Washington and Tel Aviv are drastically tightening the noose around Iran and the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, setting new categorical conditions for achieving peace in the region, according to publications by Al Jazeera, Reuters and Ura.news.
The special envoy and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kasher, announced the official US demands for a possible deal with Iran, while simultaneously issuing an unprecedented ultimatum to the Palestinian Hamas fighters.
In the background, according to the military command, The US has already diverted 64 commercial vessels after officially resuming its large-scale sea and port blockade against the Islamic Republic, Roya News reports.
Kushner's Ultimatum: Disarmament or Total Destruction
In an interview with Fox News, Jared Kushner revealed that the White House is ready to finalize an agreement with Iran only if Tehran completely and definitively gives up the ability to create and develop nuclear weapons. According to him, however, the Iranian side is currently not showing any real interest in the framework that would make sense for Washington's security.
In parallel, Kushner set a deadline for the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Hamas movement has a window of 60 to 90 days in which to voluntarily surrender their weapons and fill in their underground tunnels.
„If they don't fulfill their commitment now, everyone will see that they are not sincere about achieving peace. In that case, Israel will receive much greater military and political support from the United States and our partners to go and finish the job in the appropriate manner“, Kushner categorically told Fox News, quoted by Al Jazeera.
He confirmed that the reconstruction of the destroyed enclave territory will not begin until complete demilitarization is carried out.
US and Israel test Hamas with a new mechanism
Meanwhile, Axios reported that the US and Israel intend to create a specialized joint mechanism in Gaza for conflict resolution and security management in the post-war period, Axios and APA.az reported. During four hours of critical consultations in Jerusalem between Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington urged Israel to take “small steps” to test Hamas’s willingness to disarm. Despite Netanyahu’s deep skepticism about the Palestinian group’s sincerity, U.S. officials insist that Israel must test the de-escalation intentions declared by Hamas leaders in Egypt. As part of the plan, Netanyahu and Trump’s envoys agreed to create two working groups – one for disarmament of Gaza and one for critical humanitarian issues like clean water and sanitation.
64 ships diverted in Iran blockade
Tensions at sea reached a peak after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that The US Navy diverted a total of 64 merchant ships, disabled three and stormed two for inspection, inform Roya News and Nine.com.au. The actions are part of the renewed large-scale naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas, defined by the Pentagon as a “steel wall“ around Iran.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth officially stated that the US Navy has the capacity and resources to maintain this blockade indefinitely through the rotation of warships. The pressure is already having a serious effect on Tehran's economy, as Iranian oil exports have suffered a huge collapse, limiting the Islamic regime's financial capabilities to finance its proxy groups in the Middle East.