US, Iran release conflicting reports on deal as Trump says no sanctions relief | US-Israeli war against Iran

Despite suggestions that a deal between the United States and Iran may be near, officials from both countries have continued to issue conflicting statements, signaling a continuing diplomatic impasse.

Speaking at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, US President Donald Trump said Iran would not receive any sanctions relief as a result of the negotiations, despite Iran’s demands to the contrary.

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“We’re not talking about easing sanctions or handing out money,” Trump said.

Earlier today, in an interview with PBS News, the US president also reiterated his assertion that Iran would give up its reserves of enriched uranium.

“They’re going to give up their highly enriched uranium, not for sanctions relief. No, no, not at all,” Trump told PBS News.

The comments followed similar remarks on Monday, when Trump said enriched uranium “would either be immediately turned over to the United States for repatriation and destruction, or, preferably, in collaboration and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed on site.”

But Tehran has said it will not let go of the 440 kg (970 pounds) of nuclear material it possesses.

More than a month ago, Trump claimed that Iran had agreed to allow the United States to recover uranium “at a leisurely pace,” but Tehran quickly denied the statement.

Differences over the future of Iran’s nuclear program remain one of many points of contention in ceasefire negotiations, as the United States and Iran seek to end the war that began more than 12 weeks ago.

The two sides have also clashed over issues such as maintaining U.S. sanctions on Iran, the U.S. blockade of Tehran’s ports and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a major trade artery.

Diplomacy at a standstill

At his cabinet meeting, Trump reiterated several statements he had made since the start of the war, including the disappearance of the Iranian navy and air force. He also once again sought to portray Iran as a fallen enemy, subdued by American military might.

“They really want to make a deal,” Trump said of Iran. But he added that the current negotiations have not met his expectations.

“We’re not happy with it, but we will be. We will be. Either that or we’ll just have to finish the job,” Trump said, suggesting further military action.

The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 without direct provocation, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several top officials in the country, as well as hundreds of civilians.

Iran responded by launching missile and drone attacks against Israel and across the region. It also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which more than 20 percent of the world’s oil trade passes.

The blockade has caused energy prices to skyrocket around the world and fueled inflation in the United States. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has failed to reopen the waterway by force.

But on Wednesday, Trump stressed that Iran could not “wait any longer” than him in the hope that he would back down. He framed the blockade as a tactic to undermine his domestic support ahead of crucial U.S. midterm elections.

“I don’t care about the midterm elections,” Trump said. “People understand that. They know that, very simply, Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.”

Trump also dismissed the prospect of a near-term deal that would allow Iran and Oman to jointly control the strait, even hinting at a military response if Oman did so.

“Oman will behave like everyone else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. Everything will be fine,” Trump said.

While Trump has presented the deaths of Khamenei and other Iranian leaders as evidence of a change in leadership, the war has failed to bring down Iran’s system of government.

Khamenei was replaced by his son Mojtaba, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to play a major role in Iran’s political and military establishment.

A temporary ceasefire went into effect on April 8, but efforts to resolve the crisis have stalled, despite Trump’s assertion that Iran is weakened and desperate to reach a deal with the United States.

However, optimism was renewed about a possible deal when Trump announced on Saturday that a deal was being finalized, after speaking with regional leaders.

It remains unclear whether either side offered any concessions to reach a deal.

Trump, for example, said at the cabinet meeting that he “would not be comfortable” with the prospect of Iranian uranium being transferred to Russia or China, rather than the United States.

US says Iranian report ‘fabricated’

Earlier Wednesday, the White House rejected an Iranian state television report on the details of a memorandum of understanding aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war.

The Iranian report said the proposed deal would require lifting the U.S. naval blockade against Iran in exchange for allowing ships to pass through Hormuz at pre-war levels within 30 days.

According to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), military vessels would not be part of the deal and management of the waterway – including vessel inspections and possible fees – would remain under Iran’s control, in coordination with Oman.

But the White House was quick to put a damper on the Iranian claims.

“This report from Iranian-controlled media is not true and the memorandum of understanding they ‘published’ is a complete fabrication. No one should believe what Iranian state media publishes. FACTS MATTER,” the Trump administration said in a social media post.

The White House did not elaborate on what was wrong in the report, nor did it provide details about the potential deal with Iran.

Trump said Wednesday that the United States would not accept Iranian control of Hormuz. “We will monitor it, but no one will control it. This is part of the negotiations we are having,” he told reporters at the cabinet meeting.

Initially, some U.S. and Iranian reports suggested the United States would release frozen Iranian assets as part of the deal, but Trump stressed Wednesday that Washington would not offer immediate sanctions relief to Tehran.

“When they behave properly and do what is right, we will let them have their money,” he said.

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