TEHRAN: Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that Iranians had “better become smart and fast!” as negotiations between the two countries aimed at ending the war in the Middle East are at an impasse.
The conflict, triggered on February 28 by an Israeli-American attack on Tehran, has resulted in thousands of deaths, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and its repercussions continue to shake the global economy.
The consequences are particularly felt in Iran, where the national currency, the rial, reached a record low against the dollar on Wednesday, according to several currency tracking sites.
And in the capital, some express their fatalism.
“The idea of reliving the war is terrifying, but we also have no hope regarding the outcome of the negotiations,” said Ali, a 52-year-old architect, speaking to an AFP journalist in Paris.
“They go to negotiate and come back with even more sanctions, and the discussions always focus on nuclear issues: we never talk about the people, the economy, or freedom,” he added, as his country has been under international sanctions for decades.
“Getting smarter”
Although a truce was established on April 8, Iran and the United States still cannot agree to hold new negotiations in Pakistan, a mediator, after an unsuccessful first session on April 11.
The Iranians “had better become smart, and fast!” warned Donald Trump on his Truth social network.
The same message included a photoshopped image of the president carrying an assault rifle in a war scenario, with the comment: “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”.
The United States is skeptical about a new proposal from Tehran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic seaway for oil and gas trade.
Iran has blocked it since the beginning of the war, and the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
According to an article from the American site Axios, relayed by the official Iranian news agency Irna, Tehran’s offer aims to reopen the strait and end the war, postponing discussions on the nuclear issue to a later date.
“More risks”
But this issue remains central for the United States and Israel, accusing the Islamic Republic of wanting to acquire nuclear weapons – which it denies.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the American president has asked national security officials to prepare for a long blockade of Iranian ports to compel Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.
The journal reports that Mr. Trump believes he can force Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years, then accept strict restrictions later on.
Iran regularly reaffirms its inherent right to civilian nuclear power while deeming the enrichment rate negotiable.
According to American officials cited by the WSJ, Donald Trump also believes that blocking Iranian port infrastructure would continue to exert pressure on the Iranian economy and its oil exports.
The White House tenant “considered that his other options – to resume bombings or withdraw from the conflict – entailed more risks than maintaining the blockade”, these officials said.
Tehran called on Washington to give up its “irrational demands,” saying the United States were “no longer in a position to dictate their policy to independent nations.”
Hegseth hearing
While Iran regularly announces arrests or executions of individuals accused of links with Israel or the United States, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated on Wednesday that 21 people had been executed and more than 4,000 arrested for political reasons or security-related issues since the beginning of the conflict.
Iran did not immediately respond to these allegations.
On the Lebanese front, Israel, which fights the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, reported two people, including a soldier, were killed on Wednesday in a new Israeli strike in the south of the country, according to the Lebanese army.
Each side accuses the other of violating a truce established on April 17.
In the United States, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will have to explain Wednesday about the conduct of the war in Iran during his first congressional hearing since the beginning of the conflict.
Since late February, Democratic and Republican lawmakers have criticized the American executive for the lack of information provided to them.
