US President Donald Trump argued that Washington is approaching an agreement with Iran to resolve a long-term nuclear conflict despite the ongoing diplomatic hurdles.
“We are in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” Trump said in Qatar in Game 2 of his Gulf Tour on Thursday before heading to the UAE.
“We’re not going to make nuclear dust in Iran,” he said. “I think we’re approaching trading without doing this.”
Trump said he was based optimistically on a new statement by Iran. “You’ve probably read a story about Iran today, and it’s like you agreeing to the terms,” he said.
The president did not specify which statements were mentioned, but Ali Shamhani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a US media interview this week that Tehran is willing to accept a widespread curb in its nuclear program.
“I want them (Iran) to succeed, and I want them to become a great country in the end,” Trump added Thursday.
Trump’s remarks come amidst the strengthening of negotiations between us and Iranian authorities held in Oman last Sunday. US officials confirmed with Axios that a new proposal was submitted to Tehran during the fourth round of speech.
Although both sides say they prefer diplomatic solutions, serious differences remain.
On Tuesday, Trump called Tehran the “most destructive force” of the Middle East.
Iranian President Masuud Pezeshkian responded with force to Trump’s remarks, accusing the United States of promoting instability in the region. “Trump believes he can sanction us and threaten us before talking about human rights. All crime and local instability is caused by them (US),” he said. “He wants to create instability within Iran.”
On Thursday, Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iran views Trump as the “murderer” of Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the IRGC’s Quds army. He was killed in Iraq on a drone strike on January 3, 2020.
However, some Tehran signals suggest that the transaction may be within reach. In an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, senior adviser Shamkhani showed Iran is open to restraining its nuclear program if sanctions are lifted.
According to Shamkhani, Iran is ready to commit to developing nuclear weapons, dilute highly enriched uranium stockpiles, and accept international testing.
There are major sticking points remaining
Still, there are still major obstacles. Washington claims that Iran will stop enriching uranium entirely – Iranian officials continue to refuse, calling it an unnegotiable “red line.”
Iran is trying to lower enrichment levels and lower stockpiling levels, but it claims that the restrictions set by the 2015 nuclear deal that the Trump administration abandoned in 2018 are gradual and there are further cuts.
Negotiators are also conflicted about where Iran’s excess uranium will be relocated, further complicating it.
Qatar emerged as a central player in mediation efforts between the US and Iran as momentum cooperates to revive momentum.
Speaking in Doha, Trump said Iran should “speak a great thank you” to Qatar’s chief Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. “Iran is very fortunate to have Emil as he is actually fighting for them. He doesn’t want us to deal a vicious blow to Iran,” Trump said.
Qatar’s involvement is “not really new,” said Hashem Ahelbara of Al Jazeera, who has reported from Doha. “They played a very important role in mediating between Iranians and Americans in the past.”
According to Ahelbarra, there are “strong signs” that Qatar is “very involved in mediating settlements.”
On his local trip, Trump visited Saudi Arabia where he met Saudi and Syrian leaders on Wednesday before heading to Qatar.
On Thursday, he spoke to US troops stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar before heading to Abu Dhabi. In the United Arab Emirates, we meet Emirati leaders who are lobbying Washington for support in an ambitious bid to position the Gulf nation as the world leader in artificial intelligence.