JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said he had not reviewed the exact wording of Iran's new peace proposal, but it was unlikely to be accepted, because Tehran had not "paid a big enough price."
President Trump's statement on social media ended a day in which he publicly mused about the possibility of restarting airstrikes, the latest mixed signal as he seeks to end the war he launched more than two months ago.
The United States and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, but there appears to be no progress toward an agreement to end a war that has caused the largest disruption ever to global energy supplies, rattled global markets and raised concerns about a possible broader global economic downturn.
In his social media post, Trump wrote: "I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent us, but I can't imagine that it will be acceptable because they have not paid a high enough price for what they have done to humanity, and the world, over the past 47 years," as quoted from Al Arabiya and Reuters (3/5).
Earlier, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday that Tehran's latest proposal would first open the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade against Iran, while talks on Iran's nuclear program were postponed until later.
Republicans face the risk of a negative reaction from voters related to the price increase, when the country holds midterm congressional elections in November.
Iranian media said Tehran's 14-point proposal includes the withdrawal of US forces from areas around Iran, lifting the blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, paying compensation, lifting sanctions, and ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as new control mechanisms for the strait.
It is known that Iran has blocked almost all shipments from the Gulf other than its own shipments for more than two months. Last month, the US imposed its own blockade on ships from Iranian ports.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss secret diplomacy, the senior Iranian official said Tehran believed its latest proposal to postpone nuclear talks to a later stage was a significant change aimed at facilitating an agreement.
"Within this framework, negotiations on more complicated nuclear issues have been moved to the final stage to create a more conducive atmosphere," the official said.
Although on Friday he had said he was not satisfied with Iran's proposal, President Trump said on Saturday that he had not heard all the details.
"They told me about the concept of the deal. They will give me the right words now," he said.
When asked if he might restart an attack on Iran, Trump replied: "I don't want to say that. I mean, I can't say that to a reporter. If they behave badly, if they do something bad, now we'll see. But it's a possibility that could happen,"
Iran's proposal to postpone talks on the nuclear issue until later seems to contradict Washington's repeated demands that Iran hand over a stockpile of highly enriched uranium of more than 400 kg (900 pounds) as a condition for ending the war.
Washington says the uranium could be used to make a bomb.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful but is willing to discuss curbs on the program in return for the lifting of sanctions, such as those under the 2015 deal Trump abandoned.
According to media reports over the past week, Tehran has proposed reopening the strait before the nuclear issue is resolved.
Senior Iranian officials confirmed that this new schedule has now been outlined in a formal proposal submitted to the United States through mediators.
Despite repeatedly saying he was in no rush, Trump is under domestic pressure to break Iran's stranglehold on the strait, which has choked off 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies and driven up U.S. gasoline prices.
Iran says talks with Washington cannot resume unless a ceasefire also holds in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March to attack Hezbollah, after the Iranian-backed militant group fired across the border to support Tehran.
Lebanon and Israel agreed to separate ceasefires last month, but fighting continues, albeit on a smaller scale.
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