Trump warns Iran nuclear deal close to breaking

President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was close to breaking, after rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war.

According to officials, the proposal included some concessions regarding Iran’s controversial nuclear program, but Mr. Trump reportedly viewed it as “nonsense.”

The diplomatic deadlock and recent exchanges of fire could plunge the Middle East back into open war and prolong the global energy crisis triggered by the conflict – as Iran maintains its grip on the Strait of Hormuz while the American blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.

Asked at an unrelated White House event if the ceasefire was still in effect, Mr. Trump indicated it was “incredibly fragile.”

“I’d say it’s at its weakest now after reading that nonsense they sent us,” added Mr. Trump. “I haven’t even finished reading it yet.”

The president announced he would suspend the federal gas tax to help Americans cope with rising fuel prices caused by the war.

President Trump is expected to use his trip to China this week to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran to make concessions and end the current impasse.

Beijing is the biggest buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil, giving it some leverage.

However, reaching a deal is likely to be challenging. Iran insists the American blockade must end and sanctions be lifted before negotiations on its highly enriched uranium stocks begin.

Two regional officials told The Associated Press that Iran had proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transporting the rest to a third country. Russia had already offered to host the process.

Mr. Trump demanded all nuclear materials be completely removed and is unlikely to accept other Iranian proposals to formalize its control of the strait and seek reparations from the U.S.

Last proposal rejected

Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Iran’s response to his latest proposal was “totally unacceptable.” Ending the blockade before discussing Iran’s nuclear program would remove a major pressure lever for Mr. Trump.

Meanwhile, the standoff around the strait, a key transit point for global oil and natural gas exports, is driving up fuel prices and unsettling world markets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who initiated the war with Mr. Trump on February 28, insisted the conflict was “not over.”

In an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu said a crucial goal was to remove Iran’s nuclear materials.

If this cannot be achieved through negotiations, Mr. Netanyahu affirmed that “Israel and the United States agree that ‘we can attack them again militarily’.”

Mr. Netanyahu also stated: “The days of the current Iranian government are numbered – but it could take several days.”

The U.S. and Israel have targeted dozens of top Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader, in the war’s early strikes. The conflict has also inflicted heavy damage on Iran’s economy, but the country’s theocracy maintains its hold on power.

Deadlock continues

The Iranian proposal called on the U.S. to recognize its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, thereby formalizing its control over this international waterway.

Iran has effectively closed the strait since the start of the war, only allowing a small number of ships to pass through and charging tolls.

Experts suggest such an arrangement would likely violate international law guaranteeing freedom of navigation. This proposal is also likely to be widely rejected by the international community. The strait was open to international traffic before the war.

Iran also demanded war reparations from the U.S., the lifting of international sanctions, the blocking of Iranian assets held abroad, and an immediate end to the war, including fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, according to Iranian state media.

“We haven’t demanded any concessions – the only thing we demanded are Iran’s legitimate rights,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday.

“The U.S. side continues to insist on its unilateral views and unreasonable demands,” he argued.

However, Iran has proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transporting the rest to a third country, calling for 30 days of negotiations to finalize the details, two officials told The Associated Press.

Pakistan still trying to negotiate

Two regional diplomats familiar with the ongoing talks indicated that Pakistan is still making efforts to find a compromise.

One of the diplomats said Pakistan was working on arranging an agreement protocol to end the war and pave the way for broader dialogue on remaining issues dividing the two sides.

Pakistan had hoped to help finalize the agreement protocol last week, but its efforts have stalled, with mediators still working on various proposals, noted the diplomat.

Speaking anonymously to discuss the diplomacy, he added that Islamabad was receiving support from other regional countries in its peace efforts.

– Munir Ahmed, Associated Press journalist in Islamabad, contributed to this report.

Jon Gambrell and Samy Magdy, The Associated Press