As peace negotiations have not yielded a deal, hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have ramped up despite a cease fire. The U.S. has conducted bombing in Iran, while the Iranian military attempted to fire a missile into Kuwait.
U.S. Representative Richard Neal said Thursday, on at least six different occasions, President Donald Trump has said a deal was close, yet there's been more military action.
"So, I think that it highlights the fact that the negotiations that are taking place, they may well be viable," said Neal, a Springfield Democrat. "But the difficulty is the presidential pronouncements that continue to suggest there's something happening that really isn’t and given the fact that in the Strait of Hormuz at the moment, it seems as though the stalemate continues."
There was some positive news on Thursday about the conflict. The Associated Press reported a tentative deal was in place to extend the cease fire in the war, which has lasted three months, for another 60 days, pending Trump’s approval.
Looking back 15 years since a tornado hit western Massachusetts
Monday will mark 15 years since a EF-3 tornado ripped through Hampden County, leaving a path of destruction from Westfield to Monson and beyond. The tornado on June 1, 2011 severely impacted Springfield, leveling buildings and leaving many without homes.
Neal said looking back, the way Springfield and the other impacted communities have bounced back “is a great tribute to human faith.”
"People lived in trailers for up to two years in the East Forest Park neighborhood in particular," Neal said. "Now, when you travel through that neighborhood, you're not even reminded that there was a tornado, that's how well that the city came back from what happened and the surrounding communities,".
Neal said the assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA was crucial in the recovery process.
