Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with Iran in return for Tehran's flexibility in nuclear negotiations,

Tehran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with Iran in return for Iranian flexibility in nuclear negotiations,

Shapiro served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East until January—charged with, among other things, considering scenarios in which tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into all-out war and preparing U.

For Israel, the objective was to degrade Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demonstrate unequivocally that any threat to its existence will be met with overwhelming force. For Iran, retaliation served not only as a defense of national pride but also a signal to regional allies and adversaries alike that it remains capable of responding to aggression.

Tehran said American bases in the Middle East could face reprisals if the U.S. helped repel Iranian attacks on Israel.

Israel’s attacks on Iran renewed fears of war between the countries and immediately threatened the region’s economy.

Israeli forces stepped up bombing of Iranian cities, while Iran pierced Israeli air defences with a successful volleys of retaliatory missile strikes.