Donald Trump says Iran ‘negotiating on fumes’; White House dismisses Iranian report as ‘fabrication’; Israel escalates conflict in Lebanon
US President Donald Trump said he was “not satisfied” with negotiations to end the nearly three-month-old war with Iran, dampening expectations for progress any time soon.
“They want to make a deal so bad. So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not happy with that,” Trump said in a meeting with Cabinet officials at the White House on Wednesday.
“They are negotiating on smoke. Maybe we have to go back and finish this,” he added, without addressing whether that meant more military action.
Trump’s remarks came after Iranian state television reported on a draft interim peace agreement that said maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz could return to normal within a month after it comes into force. The White House announced that the report was false.
“This report from Iranian-controlled media is not true and the Memorandum of Understanding they ‘published’ is a complete fabrication.” The White House said in its social media post:. “No one should believe what Iranian state media publishes.”
Further reducing the possibility of a deal, Trump said that sanctions would not be eased in exchange for Iran giving up uranium. PBS News reportedExcerpt from an interview with the president.
The president is seeking a solution that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give him a convincing argument that Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been diminished enough to declare victory, ending a dispute that is politically unwelcome to Republicans.
But this being the case, Trump also runs the risk of seeing the end of the war he has chosen have an unsatisfactory ending.
The resulting deal postpones many critical issues that need to be resolved later and has exposed the Republican president to harsh criticism, even from some of his supporters, who believe Iran’s hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict worn but emboldened.
It all comes to a head as midterm elections that will determine control of Congress come to a head and Republicans worry that rising costs and fuel prices are souring the mood of American voters.
But Trump on Wednesday rejected the idea that the upcoming election would shape his Iran strategy. “They thought they were going to wait for me. You know, ‘We’re going to wait for him. He has midterms,'” Trump said. “I don’t care about midterms.”
Oil prices remained lower throughout the day as traders remained optimistic that a deal would be reached, despite conflicting statements from the two sides on the progress of negotiations.
Other highlights reported by Iran’s IRIB News include the US lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports and the departure of the American navy from the waters surrounding Iran.
The draft also states that Iran and Oman will have a mechanism to control shipping in the strait. This is one of the most contentious issues driving the deal, with the US saying ships should be allowed free passage. Oman has not made any comments on Iran in recent weeks and said the two were holding talks on management of the strait.
In the news of Iranian state television, it was said, “Managing and supervising the passage of ships and collecting service fees are at the discretion of the Islamic Republic and in partnership and cooperation with Oman.” It was stated that Iran did not undertake to reopen the strait unconditionally.
Iran and the United States are negotiating to extend the ceasefire by nearly two months and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. Tehran effectively closed the waterway at the start of the war in February, causing oil and natural gas prices to soar and driving up inflation globally.
Both Iran and the United States said talks conducted through mediators such as Pakistan and Qatar were making progress. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that “some progress and some interest has been made, and we’ll see in the next few hours and days whether progress can be made.”
Iran “maintains indirect contacts with the Americans,” Ali Bagheri-Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in Russia on Wednesday. “Until we reach agreement on all issues, we feel we have agreed on nothing.”
Bagheri-Kani added that “a completely different procedure will be introduced” for the passage of Hormuz, and that Iran and Oman are in talks to determine this mechanism.
Israel is expanding its operations in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military told residents in southern Lebanon on Wednesday to leave the area as it expanded its operations there. The statement stated that the army would “use extreme force” against the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
The warning is the first since the ceasefire took effect on April 17 and comes as the Israel-Hezbollah war escalates, with Israeli troops crossing the Litani River and approaching the southern city of Nabatiyeh.
The tensions come two days before Lebanese and Lebanese military officials are scheduled to meet at the Pentagon to discuss issues that will strengthen the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli army had previously called on residents of the southern cities of Nabatiyeh and the city of Tire on the Mediterranean coast to leave and stay away, saying there were Hezbollah members and military positions there.
Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have been carrying out attacks almost every day. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against both Israeli troops in Lebanon and northern Israeli border villages. Following the increase in exploding drone attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli army will expand the scope of its attacks in Lebanon.
