Summary of this article
Trump claims Iran wants a deal but is “afraid to say it,” citing fears of being killed by their own side or the US
Abbas Araghchi denies negotiations, saying Tehran has no intention to engage
White House warns it could “unleash hell” if Iran does not concede, while conflict enters fourth week
Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran was involved in peace talks, suggesting Tehran’s denials were because Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” the US President told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.
“They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
Trump’s comments came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that “we do not intend to negotiate”.
Trump repeated that Iran was being “decimated” in the conflict now in its fourth week, even though Tehran still maintains an effective stranglehold over the crucial Strait of Hormuz oil route.
Trump also said that Democrats were trying to “deflect from all of the tremendous success that we’re having in this military operation.”
In a mocking reference to calls from Democrats for him to seek the approval of Congress for the conflict, Mr. Trump added: “They don’t like the word ‘war,’ because you’re supposed to get approval, so I’ll use the word military operation.”
The White House said earlier that Trump was ready to “unleash hell” if Iran did not admit defeat, while also insisting that Tehran is still taking part in talks.
