President Trump said on Saturday he turned down Iran’s latest cease-fire proposal, which would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz and restarted talks on the country’s nuclear program.
“They made a proposal, but I rejected it,” Mr. Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Saturday morning.
Mr. Trump demurred when asked if he expected to restart military strikes after the November midterm elections, saying Iran wanted “to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly.”
Mr. Trump’s rebuff was the latest turn in what has been a cycle of bombings, peace proposals, grandiose threats and conflicting messages throughout the nearly seven-month U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Mr. Trump’s rejection of Iran’s offer came after his aides held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week in New York.
In his speech at the United Nations, Mr. Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran, saying its leaders could strike a deal with the United States or risk annihilation.
“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before — maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?” Mr. Trump asked in speech on Tuesday. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
Mr. Trump also suggested Iran was dragging the war out to the midterm elections in the hopes of politically damaging Mr. Trump and Republicans. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil and gas, has surged energy prices across the globe.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters on Thursday that the seven-point proposal that Mr. Trump rejected closely mirrored the commitments laid out in a so-called memorandum of understanding that was struck between the United States and Iran in June but quickly unraveled.
Mr. Araghchi added “it would be better” if a deal were reached before the U.S. midterm elections.
He said that the proposed agreement would end fighting for seven days, including in Lebanon, and require the United States to release Iranian frozen assets estimated to be at least $12 billion, waive sanctions on Iranian oil and lift the naval blockade on Iran. Then, on the last day, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.
After the seven days, negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program would restart.
Mr. Trump on Saturday said he was still open to negotiating with Iran.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine, I like making a deal too,” Mr. Trump said. “But that deal would not be acceptable.”
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