Trump says new strikes on Iran 'highly unlikely' if talks keep progressing
US President Donald Trump said resuming hostilities with Iran is highly unlikely if talks continue to progress. He added that force could still be used, depending on whether a strong agreement is signed.
- Trump told CNN a new round of strikes on Iran is highly unlikely while talks move forward.
- He said the outcome depends on whether Iran signs a very strong agreement.
- Iran has sent a nuclear proposal to Washington via Qatar, according to a senior Iranian official cited by Reuters.
US President Donald Trump has said it is highly unlikely he will order a new escalation against Iran as long as peace talks keep moving, Arab News and DW reported on 8 November. DW quoted him as saying the Iranians want to make a deal so badly.
Speaking to CNN, Trump said the US military could still launch a new round of strikes. On whether force might be needed, he said: "It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement." He also said the US had three aircraft carriers in the region and that its military had 38 bridges in its sights. In his words: "I've got three aircraft carriers here."
The comments follow weeks of rumours that the US and Israel were preparing fresh strikes. According to DW, Trump ordered an attack on Iran in late February after Israel launched a preemptive strike. Iran has rejected Trump's account of the war and, DW reported, still maintains at least a partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
On the diplomatic track, Qatar denied rumours that the US and Iran were failing to reach a deal. The Qatari prime minister said on Saturday that both sides were still working toward an agreement. A senior Iranian official cited by Reuters said Tehran has submitted a proposal on its nuclear programme to Washington through Qatar.
The same official said further talks would depend on the US meeting Iran's demands, which include lifting sanctions, unfreezing Iranian funds and war reparations. Iran and the US had signed a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad in June, but it expired in August after talks broke down, DW reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said mediators had not travelled since the US election on Tuesday, which he described as a shock. He said: "We now have to see how long it will take for them to digest these results, in order to determine how we are going to move forward." Trump's Republicans lost their majorities in Congress in that election, and the conflict was unpopular with the US public.
DW also reported that Houthi rebels in Yemen are currently targeting high-profile sites in Riyadh and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 7 November that Trump confirmed new limited US strikes on an Iranian air defence system while saying talks with Tehran were making progress. On 6 November, we reported he said he would soon decide whether to widen the war. On 5 November, he acknowledged that the Iran war and the fuel prices it caused affected the Republican midterm defeat.
Why it matters
Pakistan has a direct stake because the Strait of Hormuz affects fuel supplies and Gulf shipping. khabr.pk recorded petrol at Rs346 per litre and high-speed diesel at Rs378 per litre on 7 November. Many Pakistanis also work in Gulf countries, where regional security matters to jobs. The Islamabad memorandum signed in June also links Pakistan to the diplomacy.
