Trump expects Iran bombing to resume after midterms as ceasefire talks stall
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposed seven-day ceasefire and privately told aides he expects bombing to resume after the November midterms, US officials said.
The proposal offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations in exchange for Washington lifting its blockade of Iranian ports.
The Wall Street Journal reported the developments on Friday, September 25, as regional mediators continued efforts to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Trump privately expects Iran bombing to resume
Trump has privately expressed skepticism that Iran would meet his demands, despite publicly saying Tehran is begging for a deal after the midterms, as per the report.
US officials told the outlet that the president expects renewed bombing but has not determined the scale of any potential strikes.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, Trump said he was focused on preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them, but I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence through the election when it comes to Iran,” he told world leaders. “The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump has also urged Republicans to pretend he is on the ballot when they vote.
The officials said his position could change as the conflict continues over the coming weeks and could be affected by the midterm results, the report cited.
Iran's ceasefire proposal faces US blockade demand
Iran’s proposal, presented during a meeting in Qatar on Sunday, included a seven-day pause in fighting intended to pave the way toward ending attacks on shipping.
Tehran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin nuclear negotiations if Washington lifted its maritime blockade.
The proposed terms also included unfreezing some Iranian assets and lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports, as per the report.
The US, however, has told Iran and regional mediators that Trump has no intention of lifting the blockade, officials familiar with the matter said, the report stated.
Washington believes continued economic pressure will eventually force Tehran to accept an agreement with terms favorable to the United States and Arab states along the Persian Gulf.
A US official said negotiations were still taking place through mediators, including on the nuclear issue, the outlet reported.
An American-led effort to ensure oil tankers can sail through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian threats has also reduced the urgency for an agreement, the official said.
President Trump weighs military pressure as talks continue
Trump has alternated between pursuing diplomacy, ordering airstrikes and tightening sanctions during the seven-month conflict.
He has declared victory since the earliest days of the fighting, but officials said he remains reluctant to resume major combat operations, as per the outlet.
The United States wants to preserve dwindling munitions for other potential contingencies, the officials said.
The level of strikes Trump is considering could not be determined, the outlet’s report said.
The president has previously announced massive attacks to overcome diplomatic deadlocks in negotiations with Iran.
Meanwhile, Qatar and other regional mediators have been working around the United Nations General Assembly to reinvigorate negotiations.
Arab mediators said Iranian diplomats have presented several proposals to end the war while acknowledging the deepening economic crisis in their country.
But Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful paramilitary and economic force that has essentially run the country since the war began in February, has said it will not entertain new formulas for an agreement and is prepared for a long war, as per the report.
The Revolutionary Guard wants to return to terms closer to a preliminary deal Trump struck with Iran in June.
That agreement offered sanctions relief on oil sales, access to frozen Iranian assets and recognition of Tehran’s role in administering the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for reopening the waterway.
