US insists talks ongoing even as Iran rejects Donald Trump outreach
Mario Parker And Arsalan Shahla
washington: The White House has insisted that peace talks with Iran are continuing, even as Tehran has publicly rejected US overtures and offered new terms of its own to end the conflict that has wreaked havoc across the Middle East and global markets.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is desperate to strike a deal to end almost a month of hostilities. “They would love to make a deal, but they’re afraid to say it,” Trump told congressional Republicans Wednesday night (Washington time).
“The United States has been having productive discussions over the last three days,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier in the day. “You’re starting to see the regime looking for an exit ramp.”
Their comments contradicted Iran’s earlier statements through state media that publicly rejected Trump’s call for talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement to state television, “There have been no negotiations with the enemy so far and we are not planning any negotiations,” but various messages were given through intermediaries “stating our position or giving the necessary warnings.”
State-owned Press TV said guarantees Tehran was seeking included the US and Israel not continuing their attacks, compensation for war damage and recognition of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Iran is also considering formalizing a toll for the Strait of Hormuz; Politicians are working on a bill that would impose a toll on ships passing through the key waterway in exchange for providing security.
Tehran has already begun charging a limited number of commercial ships for transit, according to people familiar with the matter, and is tentatively seeking payment of $2 million ($2.88 million) per trip, according to people familiar with the matter. Since the war began nearly four weeks ago, Iran has effectively blocked the channel to nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, triggering a global supply shock.
As the war continued, each side continued its attacks even as efforts were renewed to persuade the other to agree to a solution. And so far Tehran is backing down very little, despite daily bombardment.
The Israel Defense Forces have completed a wave of attacks in Isfahan, which they describe as attacks on infrastructure. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, many residences were destroyed and many houses were seriously damaged.
The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday that its air defense systems were responding to Iranian missile and drone threats, while Bahrain said an Iranian attack caused a fire at a facility in Muharraq.
Earlier on Thursday, Iranian armed forces announced that they carried out missile attacks in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, targeting American forces and separatist groups supported by the US-Israel alliance.
Days before Trump’s Friday deadline for Iran to negotiate a deal to end the war, there are questions about the status of the negotiations and the possibility of a deal.
The United States has compiled a 15-point peace proposal submitted by Pakistan to the Islamic Republic, according to people familiar with the matter, emphasizing the urgency of resolving the dispute that the Trump administration initiated with Israel almost a month ago.
The US plan calls for removing Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, halting enrichment, curtailing its ballistic missile program and cutting funding to regional allies, according to three Israeli cabinet sources. In return, Iran will retain some concessions, including sanctions relief.
Leavitt said Wednesday there were “elements of truth” in the reported U.S. offer but cautioned against speculating about plans provided anonymously.
According to CNN, US Vice President JD Vance may go to Pakistan for Iran talks this weekend. Asked to comment on this report, Leavitt said, “This is a fluid situation and speculation about meetings should not be considered final until it is formally announced by the White House.”
The conflict has caused fuel and fertilizer prices to rise as commercial tankers avoid crossing the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian attacks damage energy infrastructure. This also triggered an inflation crisis and fears of food shortages around the world.
Brent oil is on track for its biggest monthly gain since 1990. The global crude oil benchmark rose above US$103 per barrel after losing more than 2 per cent on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate was near US$91.
The risk of further escalation of the conflict remains serious. The White House maintained that Trump was keeping all options open for expanded military action. Washington has ordered more troops to the region and some are scheduled to arrive before the weekend.
“If Iran cannot accept the reality of the current moment, Trump will ensure they are hit harder than ever before. President Trump does not bluff and is ready to unleash hell,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also announced Wednesday that the summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, planned for later this month, will take place in May. Trump’s postponement of the meeting to continue focusing on the war brought new tensions to US-China relations. Iran is a major trading partner of China, the world’s largest importer of crude oil.
Asked whether the new dates indicate Trump will try to end the war by that point, Leavitt said the administration “always estimated about four to six weeks” for the conflict. And he sidestepped the question of whether ending the war was a prerequisite for rescheduling the Trump-Xi meeting.
Trump said he hopes to reach a deal by the end of the week. Even if talks officially begin, this may be difficult given the wide gaps remaining between the parties.
It is also unclear who the US is negotiating with, as several senior Iranian government and military officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, were killed on the first day of the conflict. On Monday, axios Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammed-Bagher, identified Ghalibaf as a possible initiator of the talks, but denied that the talks were taking place.
“We are closely monitoring all US movements in the region, especially troop deployments,” Ghalibaf said in a statement on his social media account on Wednesday. “Do not test our resolve to defend our land.”
There is also little clarity about whether Iran will immediately allow all commercial ships to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz without payment, and how Israel will react to any agreement. Israeli officials said they will continue to hit Iran for now.
Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are considering joining the war against Tehran, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. The people said they could only do this if the Islamic Republic attacked vital energy and water infrastructure; This is a high threshold.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Türkiye is meanwhile conducting intense diplomacy to prevent Gulf Arab countries from getting involved.
More than 4,500 people have been killed in the conflict, according to governments and non-governmental organizations. Nearly three-quarters of the deaths occurred in Iran, while more than 1,000 people died in Lebanon, where Israel is waging a parallel war against Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. Dozens of people were killed in Israel and the Arab Gulf countries.
Bloomberg, AP, Reuters
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