Trump hints at further Iran negotiations after exchange of fire over Hormuz
United States President Donald Trump said that Washington has consented to a request from Iran to continue negotiations, as war between the two countries continues.Still, in a social media post on Friday, he re...
United States President Donald Trump said that Washington has consented to a request from Iran to continue negotiations, as war between the two countries continues.
Still, in a social media post on Friday, he reiterated his view that the June 17 ceasefire has ended.
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“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
“We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”
Hours later, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman denied new negotiations had been requested with the US, saying only that it had accepted a visit by a Qatari delegation seeking to find a way through the impasse, Iranian state television reported.
The two sides have repeatedly offered different accounts of their dealings throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28 .
Iran’s lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also appeared to signal on Friday that officials were still willing to take the diplomatic route.
“At any moment the Americans betray the understanding, we are ready for full-scale defence and will stand firm against them and defend the rights of the Iranian people.”
“Ending the war is a priority for the countries of the world, but everyone should know that this conflict will never end with Iran’s surrender,” he added.
Wave of attacks
Trump’s latest statement comes as both sides have traded two days of attacks over the passage of commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
In late June, the US and Iran similarly exchanged strikes, after Trump accused the Iranian government of violating the ceasefire by launching drones against container ships.
Since Tuesday, the US has had about 170 targets in Iran, according to US Central Command, the military branch that oversees operations in the Middle East. Iran retaliated by targeting US assets across the region.
This week’s exchange of fire is the largest threat yet to the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MoU), which called for an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iran and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.
In Friday’s post, Trump did not clarify if the talks he referenced would include a renewed effort to end the fighting, or if they would focus on the issues meant to be addressed within 60 days of the memorandum’s signing.
Those issues include the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, Trump said the US is not seeking a return to its full-fledged war with Iran, even as he threatened to attack Iran’s oil and water infrastructure, “take control” of Iran’s Kharg Island and reinstate the US naval blockade.
Qatari officials reportedly visit Iran
On Friday, Qatari officials were reportedly visiting Iran “in an effort to de-escalate tensions … and create the conditions for a sort of broader negotiations to continue in Qatar or Pakistan”, Al Jazeera correspondent Victoria Gatenby reported from the capital Doha
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Al Jazeera.
In a post on the social media platform X on Friday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, said he had appealed for both the US and Iran to uphold their commitments in a call with Egypt’s foreign minister.
Both the US and Iran accused each other of violating the MoU, before the latest escalation.
Iranian officials have argued that the memo allows Tehran to assert influence over how ships transit the Strait of Hormuz, therefore justifying attacks on vessels that do not comply.
The US has maintained the agreement requires Iran to allow for unfettered passage.
Both Washington and Tehran have incentives to return to diplomacy. The war is politically unpopular in the US and threatens to undermine Trump’s Republican Party in November’s midterm elections.
Iran’s already beleaguered economy has also suffered throughout the war, boosting the government’s incentive to access frozen funds and have sanctions lifted.
Military analyst Alex Alfirraz Scheers told Al Jazeera that any talks were likely to yield “very little” unless some semblance of trust can be revived.
“I think in many ways they’re almost symbolic,” he said. “Until there is genuine momentum with regards to trust-building and confidence-building, in the current context these talks will likely lead nowhere.”