President Trump Examines New Iranian Proposal as Talks Continue
President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war, but also expressed skepticism about the possibility of reaching an agreement.
“I will talk to you about it later,” he said before boarding Air Force One. “They will give me the exact text now,” he added.
Shortly after addressing journalists, Mr. Trump posted a message on social media about the new proposal, asserting that he “could not imagine it being acceptable, as they have not yet paid a sufficiently high price for what they have done to humanity and the world over the past 47 years.”
Two semi-official Iranian media outlets, Tasnim and Fars, reported that Iran had sent a 14-point proposal through Pakistan in response to a nine-point American proposal. State-run Iranian media did not mention this new proposal. Pakistan has previously hosted negotiations between Iran and the United States.
President Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal earlier this week. However, discussions have continued and the three-week ceasefire appears to be holding.
The American President has also put forward a new plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade typically passes.
US Warns Maritime Companies
The United States has warned maritime companies that they could face sanctions if they pay Iran to safely cross the Strait of Hormuz, adding pressure to the standoff between the two parties for control of this waterway.
Iran closed the strait by attacking and sabotaging ships after the war started by the United States and Israel on February 28. It then began offering some ships a safe passage closer to its shores, sometimes charging fees.
On Friday, the US cautioned against transfers not only in cash but also in the form of “digital assets, compensations, informal exchanges, or other payments in kind,” including charitable donations and payments made to Iranian embassies.
The US responded by imposing a naval blockade of Iranian ports since April 13, depriving Tehran of the oil revenues it needs to support its struggling economy. The US Central Command clarified on Saturday that 48 commercial ships had been ordered to turn back.
Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Espionage
Iran announced on Saturday that it had hanged two men convicted of spying for Israel.
The judiciary media Mizanonline stated that Yaghoub Karimpour was accused of passing on “sensitive information” to an officer from Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, while Nasser Bekrzadeh had provided details about government and religious leaders as well as information about Natanz, a city home to a nuclear enrichment facility bombed by Israel and the US last year.
Iran has executed over a dozen individuals for alleged espionage and terrorist activities in recent weeks. Human rights organizations claim that Iran regularly conducts closed-door trials where the accused cannot challenge the charges against them.
