President Trump said Wednesday he is waiting to see if Iran can make a “satisfactory” deal and warned he would make Tehran agree to his terms, one way or another, if they don’t strike an agreement now.
Mr. Trump, speaking to military mothers at the White House, said he hopes for a breakthrough in resolving the conflict that began at the end of February.
“We’re dealing with people that want to make a deal very much,” Mr. Trump said in the East Room. “We’ll see whether or not they can make a deal that is satisfactory to us.”
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trump threatened to bomb Iran at a “much higher level” if the regime does not agree to emerging terms to end the war.
Mr. Trump heaped pressure on the Iranians one day after agreeing to pause Project Freedom, an effort to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The pause was ordered at the request of Pakistani mediators, who said a deal is taking shape.
Both sides are reportedly reviewing a 14-point proposal that would set the table for a final agreement.
Mr. Trump offered an implied warning during the White House event with military moms.
“If they don’t agree, they’ll end up agreeing shortly thereafter,” Mr. Trump said of Iran.
The U.S. and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on Feb. 28 that killed top leaders and decimated the Islamic Republic’s military.
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire in early April, after Mr. Trump threatened to bomb Iran’s power plants, bridges and other infrastructure.
The pause in fighting turned the conflict into a battle of economic will.
Iran clamped down on oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, while Mr. Trump imposed a maritime blockade on Iran to force it to the negotiating table.
Recent efforts to free ships from the strait showed moderate success, though it sparked new friction in the region as Iran attacked ships and sites in the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan’s mediators thanked Mr. Trump for pausing his Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “courageous leadership.”
“We’re doing very well in Iran,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s going very smoothly, we’ll see what happens. They want to make a deal. They want to negotiate. And I think that military mothers would want to hear that.”
