Iran Awaits Response – Trump Denies Concessions

 

Martin Mederyd Hårdh/TT

 

Published 08.28

           

          US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Photo: Alex                  Brandon/AP/TT

Iran is awaiting a US response to a proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for, among other things, sanctions relief.

Trump has reacted strongly against reports suggesting he might be willing to accommodate the Iranians.

Indirect talks are reportedly underway with Qatar acting as mediator, as an Iranian delegation is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly.

Late Monday evening (US East Coast time), Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that Qatari mediators had presented proposals that are currently under discussion.

"They will raise the matter with the US side once more, after which the US's final response will be conveyed to us," he said, according to AFP.

"Certain conditions"

Talks aimed at ending the war after eight months are in full swing, a number of sources across various camps have confirmed to the AP. However, they acknowledge that major sticking points remain. According to Abbas Araghchi, mediators hope everything will be "settled by tomorrow (Tuesday)." The Iranian delegation is reportedly set to begin the journey back to Tehran during the day.

Iran is willing to open the Strait of Hormuz provided that "certain conditions" are met. Reports surfacing over the weekend indicate that Iran is demanding the US begin lifting sanctions against the country and its oil industry, as well as call off the naval blockade established in the Persian Gulf in response to Iran restricting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. There was also talk of Iran seeking the release of billions of dollars in frozen US assets.

The plan also envisions a one-week ceasefire across all Middle East conflict zones, including Lebanon, where Israeli forces have advanced during fighting against the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.

"Offered nothing"

The news site Axios—which often has sources within or close to the Trump administration—reported that the president is willing to lift sanctions and release some assets. An Axios reporter interviewed Donald Trump by phone as recently as Sunday, yet Trump flatly denied the new reports suggesting he might be open to accommodating Iran.

"It is not true. I offered them NOTHING," the US president wrote in a post demanding that Axios retract the article.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz described the situation over the weekend by noting that Iran had put forward a proposal fully aware that it was unacceptable. Iran has signaled its readiness for continued warfare should that prove necessary.

News that the US had rejected the proposal caused oil prices to rise again, illustrating the grip Iran holds over the global economy—with consequences felt at gas pumps even in the US ahead of the autumn midterm elections.