West Palm Beach, United States. President Donald Trump said he has been told about the concept of a deal with Iran and is awaiting the exact wording, while warning strikes could resume if Tehran “misbehaves.” A senior Iranian official said Tehran has submitted a proposal that prioritizes reopening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and ending the U.S. blockade.
Trump comments on proposal and potential strikes
Speaking before boarding a flight to Miami in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said: “They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.”
He later said on his social media channel that he could not imagine the proposals would be acceptable and that Iran had not paid a big enough price for what it had done.
Asked whether he might restart strikes on Iran, Trump said: “I don’t want to say that. I mean, I can’t tell that to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now we’ll see. But it’s a possibility that could happen.”
Trump has said repeatedly that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal, while Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the U.S. changes its approach.
Iranian proposal and mediation channel
A senior Iranian official said an Iranian proposal rejected so far by Trump would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade of Iran, while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear program for later.
Reuters and other news organizations reported over the past week that Tehran was proposing to reopen the strait before nuclear issues were resolved. The official confirmed this timeline had been spelled out in a formal proposal conveyed to the United States through mediators.
Domestic pressure and Strait of Hormuz impact
Trump said on Friday that “on a human basis,” he did not prefer the military course of action and told congressional leaders he did not need their permission to extend the war beyond a deadline set by law for that day because the ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities.
Trump has said he is in no hurry, but faces domestic pressure over Iran’s hold on the strait, which has choked off 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies and pushed up U.S. gasoline prices. Trump’s Republican Party faces the risk of a voter backlash over higher prices when the country votes in midterm congressional elections in November.
Details cited by Iranian media
Iranian media said Tehran’s 14-point proposal included the withdrawal of U.S. forces from areas surrounding Iran, lifting the blockade, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, payment of compensation, lifting sanctions, ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, and a new control mechanism for the strait.
What do you think would be the key obstacles to reaching a deal between the United States and Iran?