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Trump Blocks Iran Sanctions Relief Until Deal Is Signed
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump drew a hard line Wednesday, ruling out any sanctions relief for Iran before a permanent agreement formally ending hostilities is reached — as a Pakistani envoy made a fresh push for diplomatic progress in Tehran.
"I'm not doing any relief until they sign an agreement. When they sign an agreement, we can get that place built up again and have something that's really a good country for the people, but no, we haven't offered anything," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
Despite characterizing negotiations as entering their "final stages" earlier in the day, Trump projected no sense of urgency, saying he is "in no hurry" to close a deal.
The president also cast doubt on whether Iranian leadership was acting in its citizens' interests. "I just wonder whether or not they have the good of the people, because some of the things they're doing, to me, means they don't have the good of the people, and they have to have the good of the people. There's a lot of anger now in Iran, because people are living so badly," he said.
On the diplomatic front, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi touched down in Tehran Wednesday — his second visit in under a week — according to an Iranian state broadcaster. He proceeded directly to the Interior Ministry for talks with his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni. Islamabad has emerged as a pivotal broker in efforts to bring a permanent end to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The conflict erupted Feb. 28 when joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a sweeping Iranian counteroffensive, with waves of drones and missiles striking regional targets as Tehran shut the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took hold April 8, though subsequent negotiations in Islamabad collapsed without a binding accord. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while keeping a naval blockade in place around Iranian ports along the critical waterway.
When pressed by a reporter on whether he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were aligned over Iran, Trump answered with a single word: "Yeah."
"He'll do whatever I want him to do. He's a very, very good man," Trump added.
Speaking later at a commencement ceremony at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, Trump revisited claims of having devastated Iran's military capabilities, leaving open the possibility of renewed strikes. "The only question is, do we go and finish it up, or are they going to be signing a document? Let's see what happens."
"We hit them very hard. We may have to hit them even harder, but maybe not. We're not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon and blow up the entire Middle East, Israel," he said.
"I'm not doing any relief until they sign an agreement. When they sign an agreement, we can get that place built up again and have something that's really a good country for the people, but no, we haven't offered anything," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
Despite characterizing negotiations as entering their "final stages" earlier in the day, Trump projected no sense of urgency, saying he is "in no hurry" to close a deal.
The president also cast doubt on whether Iranian leadership was acting in its citizens' interests. "I just wonder whether or not they have the good of the people, because some of the things they're doing, to me, means they don't have the good of the people, and they have to have the good of the people. There's a lot of anger now in Iran, because people are living so badly," he said.
On the diplomatic front, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi touched down in Tehran Wednesday — his second visit in under a week — according to an Iranian state broadcaster. He proceeded directly to the Interior Ministry for talks with his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni. Islamabad has emerged as a pivotal broker in efforts to bring a permanent end to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The conflict erupted Feb. 28 when joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a sweeping Iranian counteroffensive, with waves of drones and missiles striking regional targets as Tehran shut the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took hold April 8, though subsequent negotiations in Islamabad collapsed without a binding accord. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while keeping a naval blockade in place around Iranian ports along the critical waterway.
When pressed by a reporter on whether he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were aligned over Iran, Trump answered with a single word: "Yeah."
"He'll do whatever I want him to do. He's a very, very good man," Trump added.
Speaking later at a commencement ceremony at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, Trump revisited claims of having devastated Iran's military capabilities, leaving open the possibility of renewed strikes. "The only question is, do we go and finish it up, or are they going to be signing a document? Let's see what happens."
"We hit them very hard. We may have to hit them even harder, but maybe not. We're not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon and blow up the entire Middle East, Israel," he said.
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