Iran Rebuilds Drone Output Faster Than US Expected Amid Ceasefire

Iranian officials said Thursday they are reviewing the latest American proposal to end the three-month conflict, while Pakistan continues its mediation role between Tehran and Washington. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed receipt of U.S. views and stated that several rounds of communication have occurred based on Iran's 14-point framework. Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir is scheduled to arrive in Tehran for further consultations.

President Donald Trump indicated he is prepared to wait a few days for satisfactory answers but warned that military options remain ready if talks fail. The comments came as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz stays largely blocked, with Iran establishing a new supervision area requiring permission for vessel transit. Before the fighting began, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas moved through the waterway.

Former White House envoy Morgan Ortagus cautioned that Iran has a long record of using extended negotiations to buy time and preserve leverage. She urged the administration to avoid the pattern seen in past rounds where diplomacy served mainly to stall pressure while the regime maintained its nuclear advances and proxy networks. Ortagus noted that current U.S. leverage appears stronger than in previous administrations, yet the risk of drawn-out talks remains high.

U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Iran has restarted some drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April. The rebuilding of its military industrial base is occurring faster than initial estimates projected. This development comes after Israeli strikes in late February that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and wounded his son Mojtaba, who remains in hiding.

Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, has emerged as a central figure in shaping Tehran's negotiating position. The hard-line officer, previously linked to support for regional militant groups and the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina, now oversees the Guard's ballistic missile arsenal and naval forces in the Persian Gulf. His elevation followed the death of his predecessor early in the conflict.

Senator Rick Scott stated that military action will likely prove necessary against Iran, contrasting it with Cuba where he expects internal pressures to force regime change without direct U.S. intervention. Scott argued the Iranian leadership is deliberately stringing out discussions while consolidating power among a narrow circle around the supreme leader.

The current stalemate leaves both sides with significant economic costs. Iran's blockade and the U.S.-led port restrictions have halted most commercial traffic, while Tehran continues to press its original demands through Pakistani intermediaries. Past episodes show the regime has repeatedly used such pauses to reconstitute capabilities and test Western resolve rather than reach lasting accommodations.