The US and Iran appeared close to a deal to end the war. However, Trump tried to negotiate through the press, posting about the process on social media and talking by phone with reporters while Pakistani mediators gave him updates from Tehran, the publication said.
Trump said Iran had agreed to a number of terms that had not yet been finalized, according to CNN. He also claimed that Tehran had accepted the toughest US demands, including the transfer of enriched uranium stockpiles, and declared an imminent end to the war.
Some White House officials acknowledged that Trump's public comments had damaged the negotiations, noting the sensitivity of the process and Iranians' deep mistrust of the United States.
“The Iranians did not appreciate the US president negotiating through social media, making it appear as if they had already endorsed issues on which agreement had not yet been reached – especially those that are unpopular with their people at home,” a source familiar with the talks told CNN, adding that the Iranians were particularly concerned about appearing weak.
The situation was aggravated by the incident in the Gulf of Oman, where an American destroyer intercepted an Iranian ship trying to break a naval blockade. Sources cautioned that the situation remains “uncertain” to say the least.
Axios also writes that Trump, with his comments, aggravated the negotiation process between Iran and the United States. Specifically, while the US President's negotiators were offering Iran $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for uranium reserves and discussing a temporary moratorium on enrichment, Trump falsely told several reporters that Iran had already agreed to give up both the reserves and enrichment, and no unfrozen funds were required to do so.
As negotiations stalled, he made a series of conflicting statements about which members of his team would go to Pakistan and when. First, Vice President J.D. Vance was not supposed to fly, then, according to Trump, he was supposed to be in the air, and then it turned out that he was not. The Iranian side, meanwhile, remained silent.
Amid his statements about the closeness of the deal, Trump also combined them with threats to destroy Iranian bridges and power plants. Tehran suspected that this was his true intention, and that all diplomacy was just a cover for a surprise attack.
Context
After Trump's threats “the death of an entire civilization” On April 7, the parties agreed to a two-week truce: during this time, the United States will not strike Iran, and Tehran will open the Strait of Hormuz. The truce expires on the evening of April 22, Washington time, the head of the White House said.
On April 11, US and Iranian delegations held talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, but they failed to conclude an agreement. After this, on April 12, Trump announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the US Navy.
April 17 head of the White House reportedthat Iran has pledged to “never close the Strait of Hormuz again.” On April 18, Tehran said that the United States was not complying with the agreements and again closed the Strait of Hormuz.
On April 19, Trump announced new round of talks and threatened to strike Iranian bridges and power plants if an agreement could not be reached.
