US-Iran talks hit ‘dead end,’ intense week of fighting expected

In recent days, senior Israeli and US officials have said the conflict is in its “final stretch” following strikes on Iran’s defense industry.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An Israeli official said Saturday that at least another week of intense fighting with Iran is expected, as ceasefire efforts between Tehran and Washington have stalled and military operations continue to expand.

Israeli officials have been updated that talks between Iran and the United States on a ceasefire have “reached a dead end,” according to a report aired on Kan News.

The report added that the US is planning strikes on Iranian goverment infrastructure.

A separate report overnight in The Wall Street Journal said regional mediation efforts, led by Pakistan, to broker a ceasefire between the US and Iran have failed, citing intermediaries involved in the discussions.

President Trump addressed his previously issued 10-day ultimatum to Iran, demanding a deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. “They have 48 hours left, otherwise the gates of hell will open upon them,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

According to opposition Iranian media reports, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes earlier Saturday on petrochemical facilities in Khuzestan in southwestern Iran, near the borders with Iraq and Kuwait.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later confirmed that Israel had targeted the facilities.

Israeli security officials were quoted in a Friday report as saying Iran’s economy is expected to become the next focus of the campaign.

In recent days, senior Israeli and US officials have said the conflict is in its “final stretch” following strikes on Iran’s defense industry.

A diplomatic source told Kan News on Saturday that senior Israel Defense Forces officials are coordinating with Russian counterparts to facilitate the departure of Russian experts from the Bushehr nuclear reactor.

The move was described as a form of “safe passage” out of Iran. Reports indicated that evacuations began in recent hours following another strike near the facility.