US President Donald Trump said that strikes on Iran could resume if Tehran “misbehaves”, although he said he had been briefed on the possibility of a deal with Tehran and was awaiting the details.
When asked about Iran's proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr Trump said: “They told me about the concept of the deal. They're going to give me the exact wording now.” He added on his social media platform that he could not imagine the proposals would be acceptable and that Iran had not paid a big enough price for what it had done.
Asked if he might start attacking Iran again, Mr Trump replied: “I don't want to say that. I mean, I can't tell that to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now we'll see. But it's a possibility that could happen.”
In Tehran, an Iranian military official said on Sunday that a renewed war with the US remains a “possibility”, as peace talks stall. Iran's Fars news agency quoted Gen Mohammad Assadi as saying that “a resumption of conflict between Iran and the US is possible, and events have shown that the US does not adhere to any promises or agreements”.
The warnings came after Tehran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz before the matter of its nuclear programme was resolved. The official confirmed that this new timeline had now been spelt out in a formal proposal conveyed to the US through mediators.
Iranian media said Tehran's 14-point proposal included the withdrawal of US forces from areas surrounding Iran, lifting the blockade, releasing Iran's frozen assets, payment of compensation, lifting sanctions and ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as a new control mechanism for the strait. The US has rejected proposals to separate the reopening of Hormuz from the nuclear question.
The US and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, but appear no closer to a deal to end a war that has caused the biggest disruption yet to global energy supplies, raising worries about a wider global economic downturn.
While saying repeatedly he is in no hurry, Mr Trump is under domestic pressure to break Iran's control of the strait, which has choked off 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies and pushed up US petrol prices. The Republican Party faces the risk of a voter backlash over higher prices when the country votes in midterm congressional elections in November. Senate Republicans blocked Democrats seeking to force a vote ending the conflict just days ago.
The prolonged closure of the waterway is causing damage to shipping, with analysts warning that even once Hormuz reopens, trapped ships face months of delays before trade flows normalise. Iran has, meanwhile, insisted it has the right to take “necessary measures” in the strait, rejecting US and international pressure to stand down.
Washington has repeatedly said it will not end the war, which has led to the deaths of thousands of people, without a deal that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the primary aim for Mr Trump when he launched strikes in February during nuclear talks. Analysts have cautioned that keeping Hormuz open is no longer sufficient on its own – what matters now is restoring predictability and stability to global energy flows.
