U.S. President Says He Had Been Told About the Concept of a Deal With Iran

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump.

U.S. President said on Saturday that he had been briefed on the general concept of a potential agreement with Iran, but was awaiting the precise wording, warning that the possibility of renewed strikes remains if Tehran fails to comply.

A senior Iranian official, cited by Reuters, said that a proposal put forward by Tehran—so far rejected by Washington—would reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and bring an end to the United States’ blockade of Iran, while deferring negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme to a later stage.

When asked about Iran's proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump replied: "They told me about the concept of the deal. They're going to give me the exact wording now."

He added on his social media channel that he could not imagine the proposals would be acceptable and that Iran had not paid a big enough price for what it had done.

Asked if he might restart strikes on Iran, President Trump replied: "I don't want to say that. I mean, I can’t tell that to a reporter. If ⁠they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now we’ll see. But it’s a possibility that could happen."

The U.S. President has said repeatedly that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal, while Iran's foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the U.S. changes its approach.

Reuters and other news organisations reported over the past week that Tehran was proposing to reopen the strait before nuclear issues were resolved. The official confirmed that this new timeline had now been spelled out in a formal proposal conveyed to the United States through mediators.

President Trump also said on Friday that "on a human basis," he did not prefer the military course of action and told congressional leaders he did not need their permission to extend the war beyond a deadline set by law for that day because the ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities.

Iranian media reported that Tehran’s 14-point proposal includes the withdrawal of United States forces from areas surrounding Iran, the lifting of blockades, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, the payment of compensation, the removal of sanctions, and an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as the establishment of a new mechanism to regulate the strait.

The United States and Israel suspended their aerial bombardment of Iran four weeks ago, but there has been little progress towards a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict. The war has caused an unprecedented disruption to global energy supplies, unsettled international markets and heightened concerns over a potential wider economic downturn.

Iran has effectively restricted most shipping traffic from the Gulf for more than two months, allowing primarily its own vessels to pass. Last month, the United States imposed reciprocal restrictions on ships departing from Iranian ports.

Source: Reuters



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