(Agencies / Al Arabiya Net): US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that talks with Iran may lead to a result at the end of the week despite the continuing attacks in the Gulf, while contradicting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s denial of “any tangible progress” in the ongoing negotiations mediated by Pakistan.
Trump confirmed on Wednesday during a conversation with reporters in the Oval Office: “They tell me that the negotiations are going very well,” adding: “Who knows… the end may be at the end of this week,” pointing out that it may bear fruit “by the end of this week.”
Trump has repeatedly hinted in recent days that an agreement is close to being reached, but without any practical steps being achieved, while new confrontations and attacks have occurred in the Gulf that threaten the ceasefire that was announced on April 8 and was marred by many violations.
As for Lebanon, Iran warned that any attack on the capital, Beirut, would lead to renewed war in the Middle East “on a large scale,” at a time when Israel is intensifying its military operations against Hezbollah, which is loyal to Tehran.
However, Trump stressed that he wants to “separate” the talks on Lebanon from the negotiations with Iran.
The issue of the fate of Iranian highly enriched uranium remains a major stumbling point in the US-Iranian negotiations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said before the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives: “I believe that this issue has been clearly raised in the letters that we exchange,” but he acknowledged that “we have not yet obtained final approval from them.”
The United States insists that Iran hand over its stock of uranium enriched to a level of 60%, close to the 90% needed to make a nuclear bomb, and agree to restrict its nuclear activities, in addition to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as a condition for any possible agreement between the two sides.
As for Iran, it wants to address this issue at a later stage, and currently reach an understanding that stipulates a comprehensive ceasefire that includes Lebanon.
In addition, US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigot revealed that the United States is targeting Iranian networks that are trying to circumvent US sanctions, adding: “We are depriving the Iranian regime of hundreds of millions of dollars.” Earlier yesterday, an informed source revealed that the US President linked the release of Iranian funds frozen abroad to signing the interim agreement with Tehran first.
The source confirmed to Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that Trump informed the mediators of his refusal to release the frozen funds before signing the agreement.
He also added that the main obstacle relates to the mechanism for disposing of part of the frozen Iranian funds. He pointed to a proposal to establish a special fund to deposit these frozen funds.
In addition, he stressed that research is continuing into a mechanism to release part of this Iranian money.
In turn, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed that “there has been no tangible progress in the negotiation process” with the United States, according to what was reported by the Iranian Tasnim Agency.
In addition, the Wall Street Journal quoted American officials as saying: Trump secretly informed his aides that he would consider ending the ceasefire with Iran if Tehran killed American soldiers.
