A 50-50 chance of a deal or war with Iran. That’s what Donald Trump is leaking while still keeping his cards close to his chest.
In Washington, D.C., where he is, US President Donald Trump is meeting with his negotiating team in Washington on whether to go to deal or war with Iran. “I think one of two things will happen: either I’ll hit them harder than they’ve ever been hit, or we’ll sign a good deal,” Donald Trump told the Axios news network.
He said earlier today that he would meet with his negotiators, Stiv Whitcoff and Jarrett Kushner, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance later in the day to discuss Iran’s latest proposal. He also said he probably will decide by Sunday whether to restart the war.
What Iran and Pakistan discussed
However, Iran is preparing its new negotiating proposal, which will be sent to the US via Pakistan. Earlier today, Pakistan Army Chief, Asim Munir was in Tehran for negotiations with senior Iranian government officials. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bayr Galibaf asserted to the US: “We will not compromise on the rights of our people with a party that is neither honest nor trustworthy.” “Just as we defended our country in battle, we seek to safeguard our rights through diplomacy,” Mohammad Bayr Galibaf stressed to conclude: “If Trump commits a folly and returns to war, our response will be fiercer and more destructive.”
In the same vein, Fida Hossein Maleki, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee at the Shura Council, said: “The Iranian and Pakistani sides agreed that these challenges and the situation of uncertainty are coming from the United States.” “In this meeting it was confirmed that the Americans have accepted many issues, but there are still stages ahead that will be made clear in the next meetings,” Fida Hossein Maleki stressed.
Non-negotiable nuclear program
In any case, for Iran, the nuclear issue is non-negotiable. Iran has announced that it will not participate in negotiations on the nuclear issue during this period. “Discussions on nuclear issues will be held in the next round only if the opposing side implements confidence-building measures,” Tehran conveyed in its message.
Iran: There is a trend towards rapprochement with the US
With the conclusion of the Iran-Pakistan consultations, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir was quick to say that “encouraging progress has been made towards a final understanding”. For his part, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Bakaee told state-run Irib television network, “After several weeks of bilateral negotiations, we are seeing a trend of rapprochement.” He referred to a 14-point plan.
“Right now we are in the phase of finalizing these memoranda of understanding,” Esmail Bakai said. Of course, on free passage through the Seaway of Hormuz, he said “it will have to be agreed between Iran, Oman and the countries bordering the sea route.” “The US has nothing to do with it,” Esmail Bakai stressed.
