The United States and Iran are in talks about a possible deal that would trade a ceasefire in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Axios.
The report also mentioned that Trump spoke about a possible ceasefire with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over a call on Wednesday.
Trump Gives Condition For Ceasefire
In a post on Truth Social on the same day, Trump claimed that Iran’s president wants a ceasefire and said that it would only happen when the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, clear”.
“We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”, Trump wrote.
However, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry labelled the claim “false and baseless”.
Trump, who is scheduled to give a televised address Wednesday evening, said Tuesday he could walk away from the war in two to three weeks once he felt confident Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon, even if Tehran does not agree to a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, China and Pakistan had presented a proposal that included a ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance Speaks About Ceasefire With Intermediaries
Vice President JD Vance has also been speaking to intermediaries about Iran as recently as Tuesday and delivered a message that Trump is impatient and that there will be growing pressure on Iranian infrastructure if they don’t make a deal, according to a person familiar with the talks who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump directed Vance to communicate privately that he is open to a ceasefire as long as certain demands are met.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier dismissed the possibility of diplomatic breakthroughs with Washington, stating that the “trust level is at zero” between the two nations. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi asserted that Tehran sees no “honesty” in US actions and has “never had a good experience from negotiations” with the American government.
Araghchi signalled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting. “You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”
Since the war began on February 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional US troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about the purpose of their deployment.