Trump says Iran is ‘talking smoke’ in talks to reopen Strait of Hormuz – National
President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that the “Iran negotiations are about smoke” and insisted that the November mid-term elections will not affect his approach to the three-month conflict that has caused uncertainty in the global economy.
Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting at a critical time in negotiations aimed at ending the war, Trump expressed confidence that a deal was close. Over the weekend, he even announced that his administration and Tehran had “discussed extensively” a solution, but talks were still ongoing.
The president wants a solution that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear power has been reduced enough to declare victory, ending a conflict that has been politically unpopular with Republicans.
But as things stand, Trump risks finding that the closure of his war of choice comes to an unsatisfactory end.
The emerging deal sets aside many critical issues that must be resolved later and has already exposed the Republican president to strong criticism – even from some of his supporters – that Iran’s hard-line leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened. It all comes at a meeting as midterm elections to determine control of Congress loom and as Republicans worry that rising fuel costs are clouding the mood of American voters.
But Trump on Wednesday dismissed the idea that the upcoming election will weigh heavily in shaping his Iran strategy.
“They thought they were going to wait for me. You know, ‘We’re going to wait for him. He has conditions,'” Trump said. “I don’t care about middle names.”
Trump acknowledged that he still has work to do, but expressed confidence that the two sides will get there.
“They really want to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be — that or we’ll have to finish the job.”
The talks became more difficult after the US military launched what the Pentagon called a “defensive defense” against missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran on Monday. The US said it had acted with “restraint” over the week-long ceasefire, while Iran condemned the move as a sign of “bad faith and dishonesty.”
Some Trump supporters are skeptical
Although Trump insists that a deal can be reached, there seems to be sunshine between the US and Iran on several key issues. The president is also being closely watched by Republican supporters, including Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, who say the words seem more favorable to Tehran.
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Those who disagree with parts of the deal that have emerged say they are too similar to the nuclear deal reached with Iran by Democratic President Barack Obama, which was rejected by Trump in his first term.
Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up a significant amount of highly enriched uranium — a key Trump demand — in exchange for sanctions relief. That’s according to two regional officials and a senior Trump administration official, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.
Another regional official, with direct knowledge of the talks, said how Iran would give up uranium would be subject to further negotiations during the 60-day period. Some can be reduced, while others will be transferred to a third country, said the official.
Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has not publicly committed to giving up its uranium.
Trump on Monday said that the uranium, which is believed to be buried under the nuclear sites attacked by American planes last year, will be transferred to the US or “destroyed on site or, in another acceptable place, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or something like it, to be a witness of this process and event.” The comments show a softening of Trump’s previous insistence that the US control Iran’s uranium stockpile.
How Trump’s plan affects Israel’s war in Lebanon
Another important issue that remains unresolved is whether the ceasefire will also cover Israel’s operations with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist group in Lebanon. Iran has insisted that Lebanon must be covered by any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the United States.
The administration seems to be leaving some room on the Lebanon question. The emerging memorandum of understanding calls for a cessation of hostilities between the US and its allies against Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, but also emphasizes Israel’s right to deal with imminent threats and defend itself.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday announced that the Israeli military is “deepening its operations” in Lebanon. During the night, Israeli forces clashed with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group along a strategic river in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces approached the north.
Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said that Israel expects that Iran will act quickly to direct any relief from sanctions in order to restore its military strength and strengthen the participating groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.
“We are not done fighting, because the Iranian regime is not done,” said Conricus, a senior executive at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.
‘Amazing silence’ as Trump finalizes Abraham Accords deal with Iran
Trump on Monday said that any agreement to end the war with Iran should include a requirement that many additional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, join the Abraham Accords, agreements created by the US since Trump’s first term aimed at normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.
Trump’s hope that other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries might quickly sign on to the accords may be over-ambitious.
For example, Saudi Arabia, the most important power in the Arab world and which has long been seen as the main prize of the normalization effort, has insisted that establishing a guaranteed path to a Palestinian state remains a condition. It is something that Israel strongly opposes.
Trump proposed the Abraham Accords when he spoke to the leaders of the Mideast allies over the weekend.
Barbara Leaf, a retired U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and a senior State Department official during President Joe Biden’s administration, said Gulf officials on the phone told her Trump’s speech was met with “surprising silence.” A person familiar with the call disputed that and said some regional allies responded well to the president’s call to join the alliances. The person spoke on condition of anonymity regarding a private conversation.
Leaf, a distinguished strategist at the Middle East Institute, said the United States’ Middle East allies recognize that Iran will likely use any sanctions relief to bolster its military capabilities. Still, they have been supportive of Trump’s pursuit of an end to the conflict.
“It sees no other way out,” Leaf said of America’s allies in the region. “And they don’t see any other way out because of the many mistakes made by the president and the administration in the conduct of the war.”
