US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the United States and Iran have held “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days regarding a “complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.” He characterized these talks as a significant step toward conflict resolution.
Trump also stated that he has instructed the Department of Defense to postpone all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, contingent on the success of ongoing meetings and discussions. Speaking to reporters at a Florida airport, Trump claimed that Iran “wants to make a deal” and that US envoys have engaged with a “respected” Iranian leader, though not Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
The US president emphasized that if a deal is reached, the Strait of Hormuz would open soon, and Iran must give up its enriched uranium stockpile. He asserted that “if a deal happens, it’s a great start for Iran and the region,” but acknowledged he could not guarantee an agreement with Tehran. Trump also alleged that the Iranians initiated the talks, not the other way around.
Earlier, Trump told Fox Business Network that Tehran badly wants a deal and it could happen within five days. He revealed that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner conducted the latest negotiations on Sunday night. This announcement is seen as a major relief in the region, which has borne the brunt of Iranian attacks, and globally, as the war on Iran has triggered a global energy crisis and sent oil prices soaring.
In an effort to lower energy prices, Trump on Saturday gave Tehran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, warning that otherwise the US would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants. This ultimatum aimed to end Tehran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.
Al Jazeera correspondent Osama Bin Javaid suggested that with his announcement, Trump may have opened a potential off-ramp on the war on Iran. He stated, “This is the breaking news that everybody in the region and beyond has been waiting for… that Donald Trump, who declared this war unilaterally without legal backing, can end it unilaterally without any preconditions.” Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher noted that Trump seems to be looking for an exit: “He has set a five-day deadline. We will see where the talks go at that point. But remember, Donald Trump’s deadlines tend to be elastic. They have been in the past, and it could well be, come Friday, there won’t be a resolution to this question.”
Analyst Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies opined that Trump’s announcement may be “his way of sort of giving himself a dignified exit.” However, the key question is what the Iranians and Israelis will do and to what extent they might be willing to continue the war effort against Iran without US backing if that occurs. Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall indicated that the Iranians are likely to climb down despite three weeks of war: “The likelihood that they will refuse this offer from Trump is remote. The Iranians do not want to continue this war. They say it was imposed on them and the region. They have said that if there are guarantees and further negotiations take place and if there is no repeat of the same type of aggression or any kind of aggression against Iran in the future and if there is a willingness to find a lasting deal, then I am sure the Iranians will not say no.”
Iran has not yet issued an official comment, but a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency, claimed that Trump’s moves are aimed at reducing energy prices and buying time to implement his military plans. The statement added that there are “initiatives” by countries in the region to reduce tensions, but their concerns should be referred to Washington – “the party that started this war.” Tehran denied any dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
Iran has warned that if Trump carries out his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants, it would completely shut down the strait in retaliation. Tehran also pledged to attack energy facilities in Israel and Gulf countries. Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has caused a spike in global oil prices and a shortage of cooking gas in Asian countries. International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol on Monday warned that the situation in the Middle East is “very severe” and worse than the two energy crises of the 1970s and the fallout of the Ukraine war combined.
On Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded that if Washington proceeds with Trump’s threat, Iran would target power plants in all regions supplying electricity to US bases “as well as the economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares.” Additionally, according to state media, the Defence Council warned that any attack on Iran’s southern coast or islands would prompt the laying of sea mines that would sever Gulf shipping routes.
Al Jazeera’s Bin Javaid, citing conversations with diplomats, reported that even during the Eid holiday, “multiple countries at different levels have been holding conversations with embassies or directly with the White House.” He added, “People have told us they have been telling Trump that this process of escalation does not bode well for Iran or for Israel. There are multiple factors to take into account. One is the threat Trump issued about hitting power plants and energy infrastructure and Iran’s response in a tit-for-tat escalation.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com