[Financial News New York = Correspondent Lee Byung-chul] U.S. President Donald Trump indirectly suggested the conditions for the conclusion of the end-of-war negotiations with Iran, amid difficulties in negotiations. President Trump is pressing Iran and Middle Eastern countries at the same time, citing the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of the freeze on assets after resolving the Iranian nuclear issue, and the expansion of the Abraham Accords to reorganize the Middle East's diplomatic order as conditions for negotiations.
"Hormuz is open to everyone"…Trump denies Iran draft outright
President Trump held a cabinet meeting at the White House on the 27th (local time) and said, "We will not rush the negotiations." In particular, before the cabinet meeting, Iranian state TV reported on the first round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. According to the report, Iran has agreed to restore commercial ship operations in the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month, and the U.S. has agreed to lift the blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw military forces near Iran. In particular, it included a plan for Iran and Oman to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz.
The White House completely denied this. Asked whether he would be willing to accept a short-term agreement that would allow Iran and Oman to control this vital sea channel, Trump also said, "No. The channel will be open to all." "It's international waters and no one can control it. We'll monitor it," he said, stressing that "this is part of the negotiations we're in."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagaei said on the 25th that "the management of the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the United States" and that "it will be carried out in cooperation with Oman." President Trump also made pressure remarks on Middle Eastern countries, including Oman, to cooperate with the U.S. plan to reorganize the order. "We have to act like every other country," he said.
Hard-line arguments over nuclear and frozen assets..."No sanctions, no money"
He also made his position clear on the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program and economic compensation, which is currently considered the biggest challenge in the end-of-war negotiations. Regarding the transfer of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile to Russia or China, President Trump said, "That would not be convenient." This drew a line on the observation that Russia or China could take over Iran's nuclear material and support the settlement of the negotiations. Earlier this week, President Trump said, "It could be destroyed at the site or processed at another acceptable location," but he was more negative about the plan to take it out abroad.
In particular, President Trump also dismissed the possibility of lifting the freeze on assets or easing sanctions, which Iran has demanded. "We are not discussing any sanctions relief, money, or anything," he said. "We will continue to maintain the funds we are controlling until Iran does the right thing and does the right thing."
According to Iran's Tasnim news agency, Iran is demanding the lifting of $12 billion out of $24 billion in frozen assets abroad first. Qatar, where some funds are stored, is acting as a mediator in the negotiations, and Iranian and Qatari officials are said to have met on the 25th.
Trump brought up the Abraham Accords again...Middle Eastern country pressure
President Trump again mentioned the Abraham Accords and pressured Middle Eastern countries. "I'm not sure if we should reach an agreement if Middle Eastern countries don't sign the Abraham Accords," he said. The Abraham Accords are a normalization agreement between Israel and Arab countries promoted during the first Trump administration, with the focus on expanding security and economic cooperation in the Middle East. President Trump also publicly expressed pressure to participate, saying, "They have a duty to do so to us."
He previously called on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan to participate in the agreement this week, and even expressed his intention to include it as part of the end-of-war negotiations between the United States and Iran. However, he avoided immediate answer on whether the actual end-of-war agreement presupposes the expansion of the Abraham Accords. Instead, he stressed, "We can make a good agreement, but we will not do it unless it is a great agreement."
Politically, President Trump is under pressure to produce stronger results than the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA), which was signed under former President Barack Obama. Accordingly, analysts say that the intention is to persuade domestic conservatives and hard-liners against Iran by pushing for a "big deal" that combines the expansion of the Abraham Accords, not just the end of the war.
Correspondent Lee Byung-chul ([email protected] )
"Trump is trying to make the end-of-war agreement as substantial as possible.
Since there is no justification for the war itself, he needs to draw legitimacy from the peace agreement.
This seems to be America’s biggest concern at the moment.
