A fresh round of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran has cast doubt over Washington's latest attempt to cool tensions, with former US counter-terrorism chief Joe Kent warning that negotiations are at risk of being derailed yet again.
Posting on X, Kent argued that any serious de-escalation effort must begin with restraining Israeli military action. He laid out what he described as a recurring pattern: the US signals de-escalation, Israel follows with major strikes, and whatever diplomatic momentum exists quickly unravels—pushing the conflict onto a faster, more dangerous track.
His comments came minutes after the Israeli Air Force confirmed a new wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran, even as US President Donald Trump suggested Washington would hold back on strikes against energy plants following what he called “very good and productive” exchanges with Iran.
Kent, who previously led the National Counterterrorism Center, was blunt in his assessment.
“Step 1 in deescalation must be restraining the Israelis, otherwise all efforts to negotiate will follow this pattern,” he wrote on X.
“POTUS publicly announces deescalation. Israel takes major strikes to destroy the negotiations & in turn weaken our ability to negotiate… The war accelerates.”
Earlier, Trump had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning of possible strikes on civilian power infrastructure. Iran did not comply and instead signalled it could target desalination plants in the Persian Gulf if attacked. The US president has since announced a five-day pause on such strikes, citing ongoing diplomatic engagement.
Just The News reported that Tehran, however, has rejected the idea that formal talks are underway. Citing the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Just the News reported that there have been no direct negotiations with Washington, describing recent exchanges as indirect messages passed through intermediaries including Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan.
Israeli Military Announces Fresh Wave of Strikes Across Tehran
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has launched a new wave of airstrikes targeting infrastructure linked to the Iranian regime across Tehran, according to a statement posted on X.
The Israeli Air Force confirmed the strikes were aimed at what it described as key regime infrastructure, marking the latest escalation in ongoing operations in the Iranian capital.
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