Mike Baker

And notably, Iranian officials continue to insist that the Apache helicopter shoot-down itself was not intentional.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has suggested the helicopter may have been caught in crossfire, just an accident, or brought down amid the tense operating environment surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Other Iranian officials have similarly denied deliberately targeting the aircraft.

Well, if Iranian regime officials say so, I'm sure you can take that to the bank.

But diplomatically, it does provide Tehran with a way to avoid claiming responsibility for an incident that triggered American retaliation.

Perhaps the strongest evidence that neither side is eager to restart the war comes not from the battlefield, but from the negotiating table.

Despite the helicopter shoot-down, despite the American strikes, and despite Iran's retaliatory missile attacks, negotiations between Washington and Tehran supposedly, in some fashion, continue.

A senior White House official told Fox News that talks remain ongoing.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Qatari officials arrived in Tehran on Wednesday as part of a continuing effort to broker an agreement between the two sides.

Now, in most conflicts, diplomacy collapses before missiles begin flying.

Here, missiles are flying while diplomacy supposedly continues.

It is an admittedly bizarre scene, both sides clinging to the imaginary ceasefire while repeatedly exchanging missile and drone fire in a limited fashion, while the U.S.

continues to express optimism about negotiations.

Hmm.

All right.

Coming up next, Taiwan is practicing for the fight that it hopes never comes.

We'll look at a major live fire exercise that offers new insight into how Taipei plans to defend itself from a potential Chinese assault.

I'll be right back.

Hey, Mike Baker here.

Now, look, here is the simple truth about aging.