Iraqchi Acknowledges Suspension of Muscat Talks; Observers: 'Late Diplomacy Failure'

Following the acknowledgment by the Iranian Foreign Minister of the suspension of the 'Muscat process' and indirect negotiations with the United States, observers say Iraqchi's positions after his visit to six regional countries are evidence of the 'failure of late diplomacy' by the Islamic Republic and that 'the only option is war.' Meanwhile, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated on Monday, October 15, in Geneva that he has come from Beirut and is 'the voice of the people of Lebanon.' In response to the Iranian Foreign Minister's remarks, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, a former member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, wrote on social media that 'Iraqchi's positions after visiting six regional capitals are evidence of the failure of late diplomacy' by the Islamic Republic. Additionally, veteran journalist Mohammad Aghazadeh wrote on social media: 'Iraqchi's stance shows that diplomacy has ended and the only option is war, and only a miracle can prevent a major regional war.' Meanwhile, Qalibaf, who heads the legislative branch of the Iranian government, claimed to be 'the voice of the people of Lebanon,' while many government opponents have repeatedly emphasized that the Islamic Republic is not Iran and that this government pursues a Shia ideology in the region. In recent days, Bernard Haykel, a Princeton University professor, told Voice of America that Saudi Arabia conveyed three important messages to the Islamic Republic during Abbas Iraqchi's meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Foreign Minister of the country, warning about the Iranian government's regional activities. According to this expert in Near Eastern and Islamic studies, Mohammed bin Salman sent three key messages to the Iranian government during his meeting with Abbas Iraqchi: first, that Saudi Arabia will remain 'neutral' in the ongoing regional conflict and 'does not wish to be a party to this war.' Second, 'even if Israel attacks, [the Islamic Republic] Iran should not provoke war, as it is not in Iran's interest, and Israel, especially with U.S. assistance, is militarily far superior.' The third point concerned Riyadh's concerns about the possibility of an Iranian attack on oil fields in the region, stating that 'if an attack occurs without prior provocation, especially against its oil facilities, Saudi Arabia will retaliate.' The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military branch of the Islamic Republic, unprecedentedly fired over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on the night of October 1, significantly escalating the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. While senior Israeli officials have stated that they will not leave this attack unanswered, there has been much speculation about how Israel will respond to this unprecedented attack. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, stated on Wednesday that his country's response to the Islamic Republic of Iran will be 'powerful, precise, and most importantly, surprising.' U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and is considering its response to the recent missile attacks by the Iranian government.