RT
Published 16 May, 2026 18:55
The US and Israel are actively preparing for a renewal of hostilities with Iran and could resume attacks as early as next week, The New York Times has reported, citing sources.
Indirect negotiations between Iran and the Trump White House have remained deadlocked since a fragile ceasefire was established in April following over a month of hostilities. Both sides have repeatedly dismissed the other’s demands as unrealistic, and both Tehran and Washington still insist they hold the upper hand.
Meanwhile, disruptions continue in the Strait of Hormuz, which has heavily affected global shipping and caused oil shortages worldwide. While Iran has announced its own mechanism to regulate maritime traffic in the waterway, Washington has rejected the scheme and is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in retaliation.
Two unnamed Middle East officials told the NYT on Friday that preparations for new strikes by Israel and the US have greatly accelerated over the past few days, and the conflict could resume as early as next week, according to the sources.
The options could include “more aggressive bombing runs” against Iranian military targets and infrastructure sites, anonymous US officials told the newspaper. Another option involves staging a raid to seize Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile, believed to be buried underground in the aftermath of the June 2025 US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to renew the attack on Iran, increasingly voicing his dissatisfaction with Tehran’s proposals. Trump tore into Iran’s response to an American proposal last weekend, branding it a “piece of garbage” and slamming the current ceasefire as “unbelievably weak.”
Tehran says it is ready to “deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression.” It has expressed wariness about the stalled negotiations but shown willingness to engage in diplomacy nonetheless.
“We have every reason not to trust the Americans,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday. “There is no military solution, and the US must understand this reality. They cannot achieve their goals through military action, but the situation would be different if they pursue diplomacy.”
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