Trump says Iran hasn’t ‘paid a big enough price’
US President Donald Trump said that he has not yet reviewed the full text of Iran’s new peace proposal, but that he is unlikely to accept it because the Iranians have not yet “paid a big enough price.”
Trump’s remarks on social media capped a day in which he publicly mused about the possibility of resuming airstrikes; It was the latest mixed signal in Trump’s effort to end the war he launched more than two months ago.
On Sunday, Israel ordered thousands of Lebanese to leave villages in southern Lebanon; This has led to an escalation of a war between Israel and Iran’s Hezbollah allies, which runs parallel to the Iran war and could further complicate broader peace efforts.
Iran said talks with Washington could not continue unless a ceasefire was reached in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March to attack Hezbollah after the Iran-backed Lebanese group crossed the border to support Tehran.
Lebanon and Israel agreed to a separate ceasefire last month, but fighting has continued, albeit on a smaller scale. The Israeli army issued an urgent warning on Sunday to residents of 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes and move to open areas at least 1,000 meters away.
The army stated that it was conducting operations against Hezbollah following what it described as a violation of the ceasefire, and warned that anyone close to Hezbollah fighters or facilities could be at risk.
The United States and Israel suspended bombing campaigns against Iran four weeks ago but appear no closer to a deal to end the war that has caused the biggest ever disruption to global energy supplies, roiled global markets and raised concerns about the possibility of a broader global economic downturn.
Trump wrote in his post on social media: “I will soon review the plan Iran sent us, but I cannot imagine it will be acceptable since they have not yet adequately paid the price for what they have done to Humanity and the World over the last 47 years.”
On Saturday, a senior Iranian official said that Iran’s offer would first open ships in the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade of Iran, while leaving the talks on Iran’s nuclear program to later.
Although Trump indicated on Friday that he was unhappy with Iran’s offer, he said on Saturday that he had not yet heard all the details.
“They explained to me the concept of the agreement. Now they will give me the full text,” he said.
Asked whether he could restart attacks on Iran, Trump replied: “I don’t want to say that. I mean, I can’t say this to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad, we’ll see about it now. But there is a possibility that it could happen.”
Iran’s proposal to postpone talks on nuclear issues until later appears to contradict Washington’s repeated demand that Iran give up its stockpile of more than 400 kg of highly enriched uranium as a condition for ending the war.
Washington says uranium could be used to make bombs. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful but is willing to discuss restrictions on it in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, as Trump agreed to in his 2015 deal.
Reuters and other news organizations reported last week that Tehran had offered to reopen the strait before nuclear issues were resolved. The senior Iranian official confirmed that this new timeline has now been detailed in a formal proposal forwarded to the US through mediators.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he is in no rush, is under domestic pressure to break Iran’s grip on the strait, which blocks 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies and is driving up U.S. oil prices.
Iranian media said Tehran’s 14-point proposal includes the withdrawal of US forces from the regions surrounding Iran, the lifting of the blockade, 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, and a new control mechanism for the strait.
