Donald Trump Not Satisfied with Iran’s Peace Offer
Donald Trump said on Friday, May 1 that he was “not satisfied” with a new offer from Iran to restart peace negotiations with the United States, renewing his threat to “pulverize” the Islamic Republic in case of diplomatic failure.
Earlier, the official Iranian news agency Irna had announced that the Islamic Republic had “transmitted its latest proposal text to Pakistan on Thursday evening, the mediator in the discussions with the United States,” without providing further details.
“At this point, I am not satisfied with what they are offering,” reacted the American president in Washington, while suggesting that in his view, Iranian leaders were “divided” and unable to agree on a strategy to end the conflict.
Refrain from Restarting Nuclear Activities
Donald Trump, who had previously threatened to “annihilate” the Iranian “civilization,” stated that he would prefer not to “pulverize Iran once and for all,” but that a resumption of war remained “an option.” According to a “well-informed source” cited by the American site Axios, the White House demanded that Iran commit not to transfer its enriched uranium outside of its bombed sites or resume its nuclear activities during the talks.
A ceasefire came into effect on April 8, after nearly 40 days of Israeli-American strikes on Iran and retaliations from Tehran in the region. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and its repercussions continue to shake the global economy.
After the truce, the first direct talks in Islamabad on April 11 were unsuccessful and so far have not continued. The conflict persists in other forms: Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in retaliation for Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s consumed oil previously passed.
In the Face of Washington’s Threats, Tehran Remains Unyielding
The U.S. government announced new sanctions against Iranian interests and warned that those who pay a toll to Tehran authorities to pass through the strait would face American penalties in return.
The American president theoretically had until Friday to request congressional authorization to continue the war. However, his government hinted that it would ignore this obligation, with the Democratic opposition being powerless to enforce it.
The USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has left the Middle East, but 20 U.S. Navy vessels, including two other aircraft carriers, remain deployed in the region. Faced with Washington’s threats, Tehran remains inflexible.
In unison with other Iranian leaders, he added that the U.S. had “achieved nothing” from the war. Negar Mortazavi from the Center for International Policy think tank mentioned that “the Iranian leadership is quite united and coherent at the moment.” Members “defend the country, their sovereignty, it is an existential battle,” she told AFP.
The $126 Threshold Exceeded
Even without details, and before Donald Trump’s reaction, the announcement of a new Iranian offer led to a significant drop in oil prices. The Brent, the global benchmark for crude oil, which had surpassed $126 on Thursday, a peak since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is now trading at less than $107.
As a result, the surge in maritime freight rates affects the delivery of aid to refugees in the Middle East and Africa, warned the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Despite benefiting somewhat from the truce, Iranians are grappling with skyrocketing inflation and unemployment, in a country already weakened by decades of international sanctions. “For many of us, paying rent and even buying food has become difficult,” said Mahyar, 28, interviewed by an AFP team based in Paris.
Amir, 40, begins the day “watching the news and reports of executions” by the Iranian government. “I feel like I’m stuck in purgatory,” he said, believing that the new negotiation offer is “a waste of time.” He fears that “the United States and Israel will attack us again” while “the world turns a blind eye.” In southern Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, new strikes have killed six people despite the ceasefire.
