Trump gathers Cabinet as he looks to seal deal to end war that some backers worry will embolden Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump He will meet with his cabinet on Wednesday at an unstable time for talks aimed at ending the conflict. war with IranJust a few days after the administration and Tehran insisted on this A deal “largely negotiated” But while negotiations continue a state of flow.
Trump exudes confidence he’s nearing a deal to reopen the world as he prepares to meet with top aides Strait of Hormuz and give him a convincing argument Iran’s nuclear capacity It was minimized enough to declare victory, ending a politically unwelcome conflict for Republicans.
However, this being the case, Trump also runs the risk that the war he has chosen will have an unsatisfactory end.
The resulting deal postpones many critical issues that need to be resolved later and has exposed the president to harsh criticism, even from some of his supporters, who say Iran’s hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict worn but emboldened. Everything turns out as it is midterm elections Determining control of Congress is coming into focus, and Republicans are worried about it rising costs and fuel prices They darken the mood of American voters.
Talks became more complicated after US forces carried out the attack What the Pentagon calls “defensive” strikes Monday at missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran. The US said it was acting “with restraint” in light of the situation ceasefire that lasted weeksIran condemned the action as a sign of “malicious intent and untrustworthiness”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Rubio He said Tuesday that talks with Iran on reopening the strait and extending the ceasefire would continue for several more days — a period the administration has said could be used to hammer out finer details of the nuclear deal. “He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal at all,” Rubio told reporters.
Trump, for his part, grumbled on social media Tuesday that if Tehran offered full surrender, the media would portray the end of the conflict as Iran achieving a “Masterful and Wonderful Victory.”
Some Trump supporters are skeptical
While Trump insists that an agreement can be reached, some important issues between the US and Iran appear to be coming to light. The President also faces Review from Republican alliesThey include Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, who say the conditions appear too favorable for Tehran.
They dispute some publicly disclosed aspects of the deal that they say are too similar to the nuclear deal that former President Barack Obama reached with Iran and that Trump canceled during his first term.
Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a key demand of Trump, in exchange for sanctions relief. That’s according to two regional officials and a senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.
How Iran will give up uranium will be subject to further negotiations over a 60-day period, a regional official with direct knowledge of the talks said. Some will likely be diluted, while the rest will be transferred to a third country, the official said.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity; That’s a technical step short of the 90% weapons-grade level. Iran has not publicly committed to giving up uranium.
On Monday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the uranium believed to be buried under nuclear facilities damaged by U.S. airstrikes last year would either be delivered to the United States or “destroyed on site with the Atomic Energy Commission or equivalent witnessing this process and event, or at another acceptable location.” The comment signals a softening of Trump’s previous insistence that the United States take control of Iran’s uranium stockpile.
How does Trump’s plan affect Israel’s war in Lebanon?
Another important unresolved issue is whether the ceasefire will also cover Israel’s operations against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has insisted that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the United States.
The administration appears to be leaving some leeway on the Lebanon issue. The resulting memorandum of understanding calls for a ceasefire between the United States and its allies against Iran and its proxies such as Hezbollah, but also underscores Israel’s right to act against imminent threats and in self-defense.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that the Israeli army is “deepening its operation” in Lebanon.
Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said Israel expects Iran to move quickly to ease sanctions to restore its military capacity and strengthen proxy groups in Gaza, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
“We are not done fighting because the Iranian regime is not done,” said Conricus, a senior fellow at Washington’s hawkish think tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
‘Stunned silence’ as Trump links Abraham Accords to Iran deal
Trump said Monday that any deal to end the Iran war must include an obligation for several more countries to join, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan. Abraham AccordsThe agreements brokered by the United States during Trump’s first term were aimed at normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.
Trump’s optimism that other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries may soon sign agreements may be overly ambitious.
For example, Saudi Arabia, which is the most important power in the Arab world and has long been seen as the biggest reward of the normalization effort. Guaranteed path to Palestinian state remains a prerequisite. This is something that Israel strongly opposes.
Trump pressed the Abraham Accords during a weekend meeting with leaders of his Middle East allies.
Barbara Leaf, the retired US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and a senior State Department official during the Biden administration, said officials from the Gulf countries who attended the meeting told her that Trump’s speech was met with “stunned silence.” A person familiar with the call disputed that characterization, and some regional allies responded positively to the president’s call to join the agreements. The person spoke on condition of anonymity about the private conversation.
Leaf, a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the United States’ Middle Eastern allies are aware that Iran will likely use the money from sanctions relief to strengthen its military capabilities. Still, they support Trump’s effort to end the conflict.
“They see no other way out,” Leaf said of American allies in the region. “And because of so many of these early mistakes that the president and the administration made in waging the war, they can’t see any other way out.”
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AP writers Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
