Washington (GNP): US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran remains unwilling to accept the terms he considers necessary to end the ongoing conflict, telling reporters in the Oval Office that Tehran should surrender. “We’re in there for one reason: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, adding that Iran would not agree to the kind of deal he believes is required.
When asked whether Washington was considering an extension of the interim agreement reached with Tehran in June, Trump said no. That agreement had called for an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, but it began to unravel within weeks.
Trump declared it over on July 7, and Iran’s Foreign Ministry said a week later that it had been suspended. Under the memorandum of understanding, both countries had committed to negotiating a broader final agreement, covering issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, within 60 days, with room for extension by mutual consent. Monday marked the end of that 60-day window.
Earlier in the day, Trump told a Fox News interviewer by phone that Iran should raise the white flag of surrender. His comments came as separate talks continued between Oman and Iran aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before US and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February.
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Trump issued a warning directed at Oman over its role in those negotiations, saying the United States would respond with force if Muscat obstructed the process. Pressed further on his position toward Oman later in the Oval Office, Trump said he was not out of patience with the country, though he criticised its conduct and said Washington could handle the matter without difficulty.
The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz has pushed fuel prices higher and added pressure on the Trump administration to bring the conflict to a close. The war has also become a politically sensitive issue ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress. Trump dismissed any suggestion that electoral considerations were shaping his approach to Iran, saying the midterms had nothing to do with his thinking on the matter.
Earlier on Monday, Trump reiterated his position on Truth Social, stating that his central objective remains ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon in any form. The statement reaffirmed the nuclear issue as the primary justification he has offered for the US campaign against Iran, even as broader diplomatic efforts to reach a lasting settlement remain at a standstill.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
