Trump accuses Iran of stalling peace deal to ‘out-wait’ him until US midterms | US news
Donald Trump accused Iran of trying to stall on a peace deal by slowing down the clock ahead of the US midterm elections in November in the hope of getting better terms.
In his speech at the cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, the US president said, “They thought they would leave me behind, you know, ‘We will wait for him, he has midterm exams.’
He insisted that the alleged approach to increase pressure on the US and global economies by keeping the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz closed would fail, and claimed that Iran “very much wants to make a deal”.
“I don’t care about the midterm elections, look what happened last night,” Trump said, an apparent reference to the victory of Ken Paxton, whom he supports, over incumbent Republican senator John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary.
Trump said that Iran’s economy was in free fall, making compromise necessary for Iran. “There is 250 percent inflation, their money has no value, their entire economic system has collapsed.”
Trump’s statements, made at the 12th cabinet meeting of his second term, came at a time when talks aimed at ending the conflict, which has been going on for nearly three months, are said to be at a critical stage. He claimed that current attempts to reach an agreement have so far failed because “we are not happy with it”.
“But we will,” the president added. “Either that, or we’ll have to finish the job.”
Asked whether he would accept a short-term deal that allows Iran and Oman to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump responded: “The Strait will be open to everyone. Nobody will control it. We will watch over it, but nobody will control it. This is part of the negotiation we are having. They want to control it. These are international waters and Oman will act like everyone else, or we will have to blow them up.”
The meeting was originally planned to take place in the idyllic surroundings of Camp David, the presidential retreat that has previously been the site of sensitive Middle East negotiations, including the historic Israel-Egypt peace accords.
But Trump changed it back to the White House environment he was more accustomed to, citing adverse weather forecasts.
The initial decision to stage it at Camp David raised eyebrows, given that Trump has visited the presidential retreat in rural Maryland, 62 miles northwest of Washington, much less frequently than most of his predecessors.
The meeting comes at a time when Trump’s approval ratings are falling and economic pessimism is rising amid a war with Iran.
Trump announced over the weekend that a deal to end hostilities was close, even as the United States struck Iranian targets on Monday, reportedly killing four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, it was stated that negotiations continue.
Trump said last Saturday that a deal with Iran had been “substantially negotiated”, sending confusing signals about peace prospects after a largely negative reaction from US right-wing circles and anti-Tehran hawks.
In a social media post on Tuesday, he expressed anger at media commentators who portrayed the resulting conditions as favorable to Iran and a potential humiliation for him.
“If Iran surrenders… and admits defeat to the great power of the United States, the Failed New York Times, China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt, and now Irrelevant CNN and every other member of the Fake News Media will headline that Iran has won a masterful and brilliant victory over the United States.” wrote.
Among those attending the meeting was Tulsi Gabbard, who announced last week that she would resign as director of national intelligence. Gabbard drew Trump’s ire after testifying to Congress last year that she believed Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons, just months before US forces bombed the country’s uranium enrichment facilities.
Trump paid tribute to Gabbard on Wednesday, calling her a “wonderful person” and drawing applause from the rest of the cabinet. “Tulsi worked tirelessly to restore trust and focus within the intelligence community, and they all respected her. They listened to her,” he said.
