The United States and Iran Towards Escalation? US President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction today (Saturday) with the new proposal for negotiations submitted by the Iranians.
The president issued a clear ultimatum to Tehran: "Either we destroy them forever - or we make a deal," President Trump added, clarifying that the United States might be "better off" if it did not reach an agreement at all.
He described an incident in which US forces fired at an Iranian cargo ship and seized it: "We took control of the cargo, we took control of the oil," he said, comparing the action to that of "pirates.".
Ben Yaniv summarized the president's statements in the last 24 hours:
""At this moment I am not satisfied with what they are offering""
""To be honest, maybe it's better not to make a deal at all. Do you want to know the truth?""
""They have very uneven leadership. Everyone wants to make a deal, but everyone is in a mess.""
""They ask for things I can't agree to.""
""I'm not sure we'll get a deal.""
""Do we want to just blow the hell out of them and finish them off forever, or do we want to try and make a deal - those are the options.""
✍️ "Iran is not coming up with the deal we need. We will close it properly. We will not leave early and then the problem will arise in 3 years.".
According to an Iranian official, the proposal rejected by Trump was intended to reopen ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending the American blockade, while postponing talks on the nuclear program to a later stage.
A senior Iranian official, Mohammad Jafar Asadi of the Khatem al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, responded that it is likely that fighting with the US will resume - it is not committed to any agreement. He added that the Iranian army "is fully prepared for any new adventure or stupidity by the Americans.".
According to US reports, US envoy Steve Witkoff submitted amendments to the proposal, demanding that the nuclear program be returned to the negotiating table immediately.
In the background, the Iranian economy continues to suffer severe blows as a result of the war and the naval blockade of its ports. According to US military data, the blockade has prevented oil exports worth about $6 billion, and inflation in the country has soared to more than 50%.
President Trump also referred to elements within the House affiliated with the radical left, who claim that the US is not winning the campaign, and said that he sees this as betrayal.
""They say, 'We're not winning, we're not winning.' They have no army left. It's unbelievable. I believe this is treason, you want to know the truth – this is treason," Trump said.
