US President Donald Trump confirmed that Iran is “negotiating on the verge of collapse,” stressing that Tehran will not obtain any relief from sanctions in exchange for giving up its stock of highly enriched uranium, at a time when indirect negotiations continue between the two sides amid escalating regional tension.
PBS News quoted Trump as saying that the issue of highly enriched uranium constitutes one of the “basic red lines” in the ongoing negotiations with Iran, stressing that Tehran “will be forced to give up this uranium, but not in exchange for lifting sanctions.”
In the same context, the White House announced that Trump “clearly set the red lines with Iran,” noting that the negotiations are “progressing well” despite the continuing differences.
Trump said that Washington is “not satisfied” with the proposals presented by Iran so far, stressing that the two sides “have not reached an agreement yet,” adding that Tehran “wants to reach an agreement because it has no other choice.”
The US President considered that the pressure exerted by Washington pushed Iran to “take a step back” on a number of issues, likening the current pressure policy towards Tehran to what his administration had previously done in Venezuela.
Referring to the Iranian internal situation, Trump said that the Iranian authorities’ decision to restore Internet service came because the country “has fallen into the abyss,” as he put it, after months of widespread restrictions and an almost complete network outage.
He added that the Iranian leadership “is betting that I want to end the war because of the midterm elections,” but he stressed that he “does not care about that,” and that his decisions are linked to what he described as “American interest and regional security.”
These statements come hours after the White House denied the veracity of what was broadcast on Iranian state television regarding the “preliminary framework” of a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian television had talked about a 14-item draft understanding that includes lifting the naval blockade on Iran, the withdrawal of American forces from its surroundings, and special arrangements for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to the possibility of turning the final agreement into a binding resolution from the UN Security Council.
But the US presidency was quick to deny the authenticity of the document, and described the Iranian report as “completely fabricated,” stressing that “the facts are important, and what the Iranian official media broadcasts should not be believed.”
It appears that the highly enriched uranium file still constitutes the main knot in the negotiations, as Washington insists on the need for Iran to give up its 60% enriched stock, while Tehran demands practical guarantees, a gradual lifting of sanctions, and the release of frozen funds.
