PRESIDENT Donald Trump said yesterday that a ceasefire with Iran was “on life support” after he rejected Tehran’s response to a US peace proposal, fuelling concerns of a resumption of hostilities in the 10-week-old conflict that has killed thousands and halted vital energy flows.
Days after Washington floated a proposal aimed at reopening negotiations, Iran on Sunday released a response focused on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Hizbollah. The response had been swiftly rejected by Trump and highlights how the two sides are still far apart on a number of issues.
Asked where the ceasefire stands, Trump told reporters yesterday: “I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn’t even finish reading it,” he said.
In its response, Tehran also demanded compensation for war damage, emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and called on the US to end its naval blockade, guarantee no further attacks, lift sanctions and remove a ban on Iranian oil sales. The US had proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
Tehran defended its stance yesterday.
“Our demand is legitimate: demanding an end to the war, lifting the (US) blockade and piracy, and releasing Iranian assets that have been unjustly frozen in banks due to US pressure,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that Iran’s armed forces are ready to respond decisively to any “act of aggression”.
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