Washington, August 18: U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Tehran is interested in negotiating with Washington, but is not willing to accept the type of deal he considers essential. The 60-day negotiation period between both parties has now concluded.
On Monday, during a press briefing at the White House, Trump remarked, “They want to make a deal, but they will not agree to the deal that I consider necessary.”
According to a report from Xinhua News Agency, Trump did not provide any updates on the status of the negotiations but reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains Washington’s primary objective.
Trump emphasized, “You understand that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, and they will not have nuclear weapons. It’s very simple. They cannot engage in nuclear warfare.”
He also claimed that the U.S. has “full control” over the Strait of Hormuz through a naval blockade against all Iranian ports, repeatedly suggesting that he views it as U.S. territory.
Trump stated, “We control this strait through the blockade. I like the idea of declaring it my territory. Now we have complete control over the strait.”
Regarding his previous warning to Oman, Trump commented, “I don’t think their behavior has been very good, but we will handle them easily, just as we deal with others.”
Reports indicate that Oman is working with Iran to open the strait and maintain control of the waterway between the two nations.
Trump’s remarks come at a time when the 60-day ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has ended. During this period, both sides remained firm on their positions regarding Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed Trump’s claim that a backchannel for negotiations exists between Washington and the IRGC.
In an interview with the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi labeled Trump’s assertion as a “delusion,” stating that there is no dialogue occurring between IRGC officials and Americans.
Mohebbi further noted that Iran’s diplomatic apparatus is currently not engaging in talks with the U.S. due to Washington’s “broken promises.”
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