Trump Says Ceasefire With Iran On ‘Massive Life Support’ After He Rejects Tehran’s Proposal

SOURCE: CNN

Iran reportedly demands sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz and war reparations, as oil spikes on escalation fears.

• Latest on ceasefire: President Donald Trump saidthe ceasefire between the US and Iran is on “massive life support”following Iran’s latest counterproposal to end hostilities, which he called “simply unacceptable.” The talks are unlikely to make significant progress until the US president meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week, a regional source told CNN.
• Iran rejects criticism: Iran’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that its proposal, which state media reported included recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, was “reasonable” and “generous.”
• Strait of Hormuz:Oman’s foreign minister said there is an “urgent need” to free ships stranded along the strait, following a meeting with the International Maritime Organization. The critical global shipping route passes between Iran and Oman.
• Energy crisis: Oil prices are climbingafterTrump’s dismissal of Iran’s latest terms, sparking fears of a fresh escalation in the conflict that would keep the vital Strait of Hormuz closed even longer.

Hezbollah reports three attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon

By Eyad Kourdi and Christian Edwards

Hezbollah said it launched three attacks on Israeli forces in two parts of southern Lebanon on Monday, putting further strain on the ceasefire proclaimed last month by US President Donald Trump.

The militant group said it targeted Israeli military vehicles and soldiers in a drone strike in the town of Tayr Harfa on Monday morning. It claimed that “flames were seen rising from one of the fuel tankers at the site.”

Hezbollah said it launched another drone strike on an Israeli position in the town three hours later, that time targeting an Israeli military Humvee.

It also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers near the Deir Seryan riverbed on Monday afternoon.

Asked by CNN for comment, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Hezbollah had launched a number of rockets and drones toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.

Monday’s strikes come after an Israeli soldier was killed in a drone attack near the border with Lebanon on Sunday.

Catch up on what Trump just told reporters at the Oval Office

US President Donald Trump answered questions on the Iran war while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, saying that the current ceasefire with Tehran is on “massive life support.”

Here’s a look at what else he said about the conflict:

Trump accused Iran of reneging on an agreement to allow the US to remove its supply of enriched uranium.

He expressed frustration with the state of talks to end the Iran war, telling reporters that Iranian leaders “change their mind” when the parties appear to reach points of agreement.

Trump also said there are “moderates” and “lunatics” in dealing with Iran, and the “moderates are dying to make a deal.”

The president told reporters he has “the best plan ever” to end the war, again blasting an Iranian counterproposal as “simply unacceptable.”

Trump said he’s “very disappointed in the Kurds” when discussing efforts to arm the Iranian people.

CNN’s Michael Williams, Adam Cancryn, Donald Judd, Aileen Graef and Morgan Leason contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump said Monday he’s “very disappointed in the Kurds” when discussing efforts to arm the Iranian people.

“They want to go out on the streets. They have no weapons. They have no guns. We thought the Kurds were going to give us weapons, but the Kurds disappointed us,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

CNN reported in March that CIA was working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran.

Trump claimed he knew the effort wasn’t going to work. “I said it wasn’t going to work, by the way, I just have to say it. I disagreed with what they did. They gave it. I said they’ll never get there. And I was right,” he said.

“We sent some guns with ammunition, and it was supposed to be delivered, but they kept it,” Trump added.

Trump says Iranian negotiators “change their mind” after appearing to agree to deal

President Donald Trump expressed frustration Monday with the state of talks to end the Iran war, telling reporters in the Oval Office that Iran’s leaders “change their mind” when the parties appear to reach points of agreement.

“Look, I’ve had to deal with them four or five times – they change their mind,” Trump said. “They’re very dishonorable people, the leadership.”

The president said that leaders in Iran who took over after their predecessors were killed in strikes have been “more reasonable.” But that hasn’t produced a deal.

“I’ve had that in business many times that, you know, the mind changes,” Trump said. He said the sides would appear to a “make a deal, and then the next day they send you a document that takes five days to get there, when it should have been there in 20 minutes.”

“You know, it’s pretty simple document,” he added. “They will never have a nuclear weapon.”

President Donald Trump told reporters Monday he has “the best plan ever” to end the war with Iran, again blasting an Iranian counterproposal as “simply unacceptable.”

“I have a plan — you know, it’s a very simple plan, I don’t know why you don’t say it like it is, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Speaking from behind the Resolute Desk, the president blasted Iran’s latest offer — which he called “a stupid proposal” — saying any agreement between the two nations would require Iran to pledge to stop pursuing a nuclear program.

“You know, in war, you have to change, you have to be flexible, you have a lot of plans, but you have to do different plans in different days,” Trump said.

“But I have a great plan — but the plan is they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he added. “And they didn’t say that in their letter.”

Trump says Iranian moderates are “dying to make a deal”

President Donald Trump said there are “moderates” and “lunatics” in dealing with Iran, and the “moderates are dying to make a deal.”

“You have the moderates, and you have the lunatics. And I think the moderates are more respected. The lunatics want to fight till the end,” he told reporters in the Oval Office Monday.

Trump said he thinks the moderates are “more respected.”

“The moderates are dying to make a deal. And then you have the lunatics, and I guess they’re a little bit afraid of the lunatics,” he said.

Ceasefire with Iran is on “massive life support,” Trump says

By Michael Williams

President Donald Trump said Monday that the monthlong ceasefire between the US and Iran is on “massive life support.”

While Trump said the ceasefire remains in place, he said it is “unbelievably weak.”

“I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office.

Both Iran and the US have fired shots at each other in the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire took effect.

President Donald Trump on Monday accused Iran of reneging on an agreement to allow the US to remove its supply of enriched uranium.

“They did two days ago,” he said from the Oval Office. “But they changed their mind, because they didn’t put it in the paper.”

Trump’s remarks followed his declaration that the most recent Iranian counterproposal to end the war was “unacceptable.”

In negotiations leading up to that proposal, the president said, Iran told the administration that it would give up its enriched uranium, but that the US would have to come and remove it.

“They told me, number one, you’re getting it, but you’re going to have to take it out,” Trump said of the uranium buried under the nuclear sites that the US bombed last year. “The site was so obliterated that there’s only one or two countries in the world that could get it.”

Trump added that China was the other country the Iranians said was capable of retrieving the uranium.

Despite those discussions, Trump said Iran did not include that agreement as part of its latest submission to the US.

US President Donald Trump indicated Monday he would continue pursuing a diplomatic solution with the current Iranian regime despite dismissing the latest proposal to the US.

“They’re going to fold,” Trump told Fox News’ John Roberts when asked about hardliners in the regime and whether there needs to be more change to leadership. “I will deal with them until they make a deal,” the president said, according to Roberts.

Trump reiterated that he could resume Project Freedom but said the US Navy guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz would “only be a piece of it,” according to Roberts. He also told CBS News on Monday that a possible resumption of the project would be “much more severe.”

In the same CBS phone interview, the president said the latest Iranian response did make concessions on the nuclear issue but said they were “not enough.”

Talks between the United States and Iran won’t make significant progress before President Donald Trump meets with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week, according to a regional source close to the negotiations process.

The source told CNN that movement on the talks will “depend on the results of President Trump’s visit to Beijing.”

The source pointed out that it was “very likely” that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi will be in Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Thursday and Friday – the same days that Trump is in Beijing.