The US-Israeli war on Iran entered its 82nd day on Wednesday, May 20, amid renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran following fresh warnings from US President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In a post on X, Araghchi claimed that months after the start of the war on Iran, the US Congress had acknowledged the loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions of dollars.
“Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as 1st to strike down a touted F-35,” he wrote, adding that “with lessons learned and knowledge we gained, return to war will feature many more surprises.”
The Iranian foreign minister’s remarks came after Trump revealed that he was “only an hour away” from ordering attacks on Iran on Monday, but decided to halt the strikes to allow “serious negotiations” to continue.
Trump said Iran was “begging” to reach an agreement, while warning that the United States was preparing a “full assault” if Tehran failed to make a deal over its nuclear programme.
“Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
The US president has repeatedly warned Iran in recent weeks. However, the lack of direct military action despite escalating rhetoric has strengthened perceptions that the conflict remains deadlocked.
The latest exchange underscores continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran as diplomatic efforts struggle to gain momentum amid the prolonged conflict.
