Despite Iranian denials, Trump says Iran is negotiating secretly and is afraid to make it public.
US President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that Iran is participating in peace talks despite its denials, asserting that Iranian negotiators are afraid to announce it for fear of internal reactions.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they very much want to make a deal,” Trump said during a dinner for Republican members of Congress. “But they are afraid to say so, because they think if they do, they will be killed by their own people.”
In this context, the American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” stated that Trump is seeking to end the war with Iran in the coming weeks, and that he has informed his aides of his desire to put a quick end to the conflict.
The newspaper quoted a US official as saying that some of Trump’s close associates are “pushing for escalation and regime change in Iran,” while the president has expressed willingness to send troops into Iran, but is hesitant because of the risks of escalation.
The source added that there are “fears of increased casualties in the event of a US ground intervention in Iran,” noting that losses on the US side amounted to “about 300 wounded and 13 dead since the start of the last war with Iran.”
The newspaper explained that Trump “discussed securing US access to a portion of Iranian oil as part of any agreement to end the war.”
Trump said on Wednesday that Iran’s leaders are negotiating with the United States but denying it to their people, adding: “I ended 8 wars, and now we are winning our war on Iran,” and asserting that the Iranian negotiators “are afraid of being killed by their own people.”
Trump stressed that “the Iranians are negotiating with us and are eager to make a deal,” adding: “We have destroyed everything in Iran. We want to see the United States succeed in its military operations in Iran.”
In contrast, the US government threatened on Wednesday to intensify attacks on Iran if no agreement is reached, with White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt saying that “there is no need for more death and destruction.”
Levitt added: “If Iran does not accept the reality of the current moment, and if it does not realize that it has been militarily defeated and will remain so, then President Trump will ensure that it is struck with even greater force than it has ever experienced before.”
She indicated that the leadership in Tehran has an opportunity to cooperate with Trump, which requires abandoning its nuclear program and ceasing to threaten the United States and its allies.
In this context, the White House announced that the United States and Iran remain engaged in peace talks, despite reports in Iranian media that Tehran has rejected Washington’s proposal to end the war.
In response to those reports, Levitt said that “talks are ongoing and productive, as President Trump has declared,” stressing that “President Trump does not threaten in vain, and he is prepared to open the gates of hell, and Iran should not miscalculate again.”
She explained that there are “elements of truth” in the media reports about a 15-point American plan that includes demands directed at Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that his government does not intend to hold any negotiations with the United States to end the war, adding in an interview with state television that exchanging messages through intermediaries “does not mean negotiating with the United States.”
Araghchi noted that the highest authorities are “reviewing the proposals submitted,” stressing that Iran does not intend to hold talks with the United States.
Shafaq.com