Iran ceasefire ‘on life support’, says Trump
Hopes for a peace deal with Iran have faded after Donald Trump said a ceasefire with Iran was “on life support” as Tehran rejected a US offer to end the conflict and stuck to a list of demands the US president described as “garbage”.
Iran has called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. Tehran also emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, demanding compensation for war damage and an end to the US naval blockade, among other conditions.
Trump said Iran’s reaction threatens the status of the ceasefire declared on April 7.
Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to end the ceasefire, told reporters, “After reading that piece of garbage they sent us, I’m calling it the weakest right now. I haven’t even finished reading it.”
The United States has proposed ending hostilities before starting talks on more controversial issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. The Pentagon in Washington has so far put the cost of the war at US$29 billion ($40 billion); This is up US$4 billion ($5.5 billion) from an estimate made late last month.
Brent crude oil futures extended gains to almost US$108 ($A149) a barrel on Tuesday as the impasse largely closed the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war began on February 28, the narrow waterway carried a fifth of the world’s shipments of oil and liquefied natural gas and has since become a central pressure point in the conflict.
US Central Command said the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was in the Arabian Sea and continued to enforce the US blockade of Iran by redirecting 65 merchant ships and disabling four.
US ally Kuwait announced the arrest of four spies from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard after they tried to enter the Gulf country by sea, state news agency KUNA reported, citing the interior ministry. There was no reaction from Iran to the report.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials made statements showing that their determination continues in the face of US pressure.
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said in a post on
According to state television, the Guards held drills in Tehran, the capital of Iran, “focused on preparation to confront the enemy.”
The United States on Monday imposed new sanctions on people and companies it said were helping Iran ship oil to China as part of efforts to cut off funding for Tehran’s military and nuclear programs, while also warning banks about attempts to evade existing restrictions.
Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday. Here, Iran is among the issues discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is very small compared to before the war. Shipping data on Kpler and LSEG showed three tankers loaded with crude oil left the waterway last week and trackers were turned off to prevent an Iranian attack.
In the US, polls show the war is unpopular with US voters, who are paying more for fuel, with less than six months to go before nationwide elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.
Two in three Americans — including one in three Republicans and nearly all Democrats — think Trump has not clearly explained why the country went to war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday.
Trump said he would suspend the federal tax on gasoline until “appropriate” to help lower fuel prices.
“As soon as this is over with Iran, as soon as it’s over, you’ll see gasoline and oil falling like a rock,” he said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who visited Doha, the capital of Qatar, stated that his country supports the efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and said that the channel should not be used as a “weapon” during the Iran war.
Washington has struggled to build international support as NATO allies refuse to send ships to reopen the waterway without a full peace agreement and an internationally authorized mission.
