Trump says Iran has not yet ‘paid a big enough price’ as he reviews new peace proposal | US-Israel war on Iran
Donald Trump said on Saturday he would review a new peace offer from Tehran, but said Iran had not yet “paid a big enough price” and cast doubt on the proposal’s future.
Tasnim and Fars, two semi-official Iranian news sources believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said Iran sent a new 14-article proposal to the United States through Pakistan.
“I’ll let you know about it later,” Trump said of the proposal before boarding Air Force One on Saturday, adding, “they’ll give me the full text now.”
Shortly after speaking to reporters, Trump posted about the new proposal on social media, saying, “I can’t imagine this would be acceptable because they haven’t yet paid a big enough price for what they’ve done to Humanity and the Earth over the last 47 years.”
Trump rejected Iran’s previous offer this week. But a ceasefire in the war, initiated by the US and Israel in late February, has been in effect since April 8, and a round of peace talks in Pakistan have failed.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Garibabadi, told diplomats in Tehran that “the ball is in the United States’ court when it comes to choosing the path of diplomacy or the continuation of the confrontational approach.”
He said Iran was “ready to go either way.”
Washington has repeatedly said it will not end the war without a deal that prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons; This was Trump’s stated aim when he launched the attack in the middle of nuclear talks in February. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.
Reuters and other news organizations reported last week that Tehran had offered to reopen the strait before nuclear issues were resolved.
Iranian media said that Tehran’s latest 14-point offer includes the withdrawal of US forces from the regions surrounding Iran, the lifting of the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, the payment of compensation, the removal of sanctions and the end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as a new control mechanism for the strait.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Saturday, Trump claimed that a new military operation against Iran was on the table.
“If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but now we’ll see,” he said. “But it’s definitely a possibility.”
On the other hand, the USA increased the pressure on the control of the strait by warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions if they pay Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has kept the strait under control since the start of the war, preventing the flow of large amounts of oil, gas and fertilizer into the world economy. The United States responded by imposing a naval blockade of Iranian ports, depriving Tehran of the oil revenue it needs to support its struggling economy.
Oil prices are nearly 50 percent above pre-war levels.
The United States on Friday warned against payments to Iran not just in cash but also in the form of “digital assets, offsets, informal exchanges or other in-kind payments,” including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies.
With Reuters, Associated Press and France-Presse Agency
