Trump Says Renewed US Strikes on Iran Highly Unlikely if Talks Progress

The update

President Donald Trump told CNN on Sunday that renewed US strikes on Iran are “highly unlikely” if negotiations produce a very strong agreement. He said Iran wants a deal badly and described it as a failing nation after eight months of hostilities. He also warned US forces remain ready, saying three aircraft carriers in the region are “fully locked and loaded” and 38 Iranian bridges could be knocked down in one hour. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said mediators had not travelled since Tuesday’s US midterm elections, while Qatar said both sides were still working toward an agreement.

Why it matters

The war began in late February and has continued through bursts of fighting, ceasefires and talks, with Iran maintaining at least a partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. A deal would need to address Iran’s nuclear programme and reopening the strait, central to global oil supplies, after an earlier memorandum signed in Islamabad in June expired in August. Trump has demanded Iran never develop a nuclear weapon and fully open the strait.

What to watch

Whether talks resume in earnest, and how Washington responds to a nuclear proposal Tehran reportedly submitted through Qatar. DW, citing a senior Iranian official via Reuters, said further talks would depend on US steps including lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian funds. Trump also faces more pressure to end the war after Democrats won control of Congress.

Sources

• dw.com — Trump’s CNN remarks, Araghchi and Qatar comments, and Tehran’s reported nuclear proposal
• cnbc.com — Trump’s carrier and bridge warnings and the nuclear and Hormuz conditions

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