Trump discusses Iran proposal with aides: not outright rejection but harboring doubts

Author: Xiao Yanyan, Jintou Data

The White House stated that U.S. officials are discussing Iran’s latest proposal, but in any agreement aimed at ending this eight-week conflict, the U.S. will maintain its “red line”, which includes preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Currently, the conflict remains deadlocked, leading to a reduction in energy supplies in the region.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that President Trump convened a meeting of national security officials earlier that day to specifically discuss Iran’s proposal.

Jean-Pierre said, “President Trump has very, very clearly drawn his red lines on Iran.”

She added that, Trump will “speak soon” on this matter.

Earlier reports indicated that Tehran proposed a temporary agreement: Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting the blockade on Iranian ports. The proposal also aimed to delay more complex negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program. This is unlikely to satisfy Washington, which insists that nuclear issues must be addressed from the outset.

According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials said that Trump and his national security team are skeptical of Iran’s latest proposal. Officials stated that, while Trump did not outright reject it, he expressed doubts about whether Iran would act in good faith and whether it would meet his key demands. Trump’s main requirements are: Iran must cease nuclear enrichment activities and pledge never to develop nuclear weapons. These officials said the U.S. will continue negotiations with Iran, and the White House may respond and counter-propose in the coming days.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he believes Iran is trying to buy more time. In an interview with Fox News, he said, “We cannot let them succeed. They are very experienced, seasoned negotiators. We must ensure that any agreement or arrangement we reach can effectively prevent them from rushing to nuclear weapons at any time.”

Blinken stated, “If what they mean by opening the strait is ‘the strait can be open, but only if you coordinate with Iran and get our permission, otherwise we will bomb you, and you will have to pay us’—that is not an open strait at all.”

According to sources involved in mediation, Pakistan, despite Trump canceling his representatives’ trips last weekend, which led to a lack of face-to-face diplomatic contact, the work to bridge U.S.-Iran differences has not stopped.

As both sides remain far apart on issues such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the passage rights through the key Strait of Hormuz, oil prices recovered on Monday, reaching a two-week high.

In recent days, at least six Iranian oil tankers have been forced to return to Iran due to U.S. blockades. On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry posted on social media condemning the U.S. seizure of vessels related to Iran as “total piracy and armed robbery on the high seas”.

According to Kpler ship tracking data and satellite analysis by SynMax, normally 125 to 140 ships transit the Strait of Hormuz daily before the conflict, but in the past day, only seven ships passed through, none of which were transporting oil to global markets.

In another diplomatic activity, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Tehran is committed to strengthening its partnership with Russia.

Abdollahian told reporters in Russia that it was Trump who actively sought negotiations, because the U.S. has so far failed to achieve any of its goals.

Iran’s state news agency Nour News reported on Monday that Abdollahian, during his visit to Russia, said that the Iranian people have the capacity to resist “American aggression and to defeat it.”

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Abdollahian stated on Monday, “We must ensure the rights of the Iranian people after 40 days of resistance, and safeguard the interests of the country.”

Abdollahian also said that “Iran and Oman are highly coordinated on the future of the Strait.” Iran has previously expressed the desire to impose transit fees on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and to share this revenue with Oman, which is located on the opposite side of the strait.

According to an Israeli official familiar with discussions within the Israeli government, Israel’s preferred plan is for the U.S. to maintain the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while allowing allied countries to use this time to prepare for possible renewed hostilities.