Trump agrees to more Iran talks but insists ceasefire is over
While the US has agreed to continue peace talks with Iran, Washington told Tehran “in no uncertain terms" that the ceasefire is over, says Donald Trump.
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DUBAI: US President Donald Trump said on Friday (Jul 10) that he had agreed to further negotiations with Iran, even as he repeated his assertion that the ceasefire between the long-time foes was no longer in effect.
While there have been no direct talks between Iran and the United States since last month, Iranian media reported that a delegation from mediator Qatar was in Tehran after the warring sides exchanged strikes again this week.
Just over three weeks after Washington and Tehran signed an agreement aimed at turning a months-long ceasefire into a durable peace, the exchange of fire for two days this week threatened a return to full-scale regional war.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks'. We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Friday.
Earlier this week, at a NATO summit, Trump also declared the ceasefire over, saying of Tehran: "It's just a waste of time dealing with them."
US and Iranian delegations have held one round of direct talks in Switzerland since the signature of their memorandum of understanding, as well as indirect negotiations in Qatar, but there has been no sign of diplomatic progress since.
IRAN DEFIANT
Iran did not immediately respond to Trump's post, but its top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said in comments posted on his Telegram account that the war would never end with Tehran's surrender.
The Islamic Republic was ready for "all-out defence" if the US betrayed a memorandum of understanding secured last month, he added.
That interim deal between both countries was meant to pave the way to the end of a conflict now in its fifth month that has killed thousands, throttled worldwide energy supplies and raised fears of a wider global economic downturn.
Qatari negotiators were meeting officials in Iran on Friday to seek to de-escalate tensions and discuss navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Oman on Saturday at the head of a delegation for talks on bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the strait, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
Daily tanker traffic through the waterway appeared to have slowed on Friday, after attacks this week raised concerns about global oil supplies and shipping.
The Qatari talks aim to address the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding and the issues that triggered the recent escalation, including disputes over navigation in the strait, the source said.
Past talks have been announced with few signs of concrete progress. "We see reports that the discussions are ongoing, and we hope that they are," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York.
Oil prices eased on Friday but remained on track for weekly gains of 5 per cent after the hostilities. US Treasuries edged lower on concerns the trend of rising energy prices could add to inflationary pressures.
GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY UP BUT STILL BELOW PRE-WAR LEVELS
The Strait of Hormuz handled about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war. Tehran has since largely taken control of the waterway, forcing a stalemate in its confrontation with the world's most powerful military.
Under the interim deal, the US ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran agreed to ensure safe passage of commercial vessels.
However, this week Washington accused Iranian forces of attacking three tankers in the area and struck military sites in Iran in response. While Iran has not claimed responsibility for those attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations.
Iran then attacked US military sites in Gulf states on Thursday.
The UN shipping agency's governing council condemned efforts by Iran to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's "unilateral decision" to create a body to control traffic through it.
Prior to this week's attacks, daily tanker traffic had risen to its highest since the war began, averaging 40 ships transiting the strait. That was still far off the pre-conflict average of 125 to 140 daily sailings.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when they launched the war that their aims were to end Iran's nuclear activities, alongside other objectives.
Tammy Bruce, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, raised that issue once more on Friday and again mentioned talks, telling a Security Council meeting: "The door to diplomacy remains open, and is our preferred path to resolve concerns related to Iran's nuclear program."
Iran, which has regularly denied accusations it is working on a nuclear bomb, has so far retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, and its ability to threaten neighbours with missiles and drones.
Also on Friday, the US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker and businessman based in Dubai who had previously been sanctioned by Britain for his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, among other individuals and entities.
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