Trump Netanyahu call jolts Iran ceasefire talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had a difficult trump netanyahu call on Tuesday as mediators pushed ceasefire talks tied to Iran. Trump called Netanyahu to say negotiators were working on a letter of intent to end the war and begin a month-long period of talks.
The proposal would put Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz on the table. Trump said on Wednesday that Iran and the United States were “right on the borderline” between restarting the war and making a deal.
Trump's message to Netanyahu
Two Israeli sources said Trump and Netanyahu were in clear disagreement about how to handle Iran moving forward. One US source briefed on the call said, “Bibi's hair was on fire after the call.”
Trump also said Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do” regarding Iran, while adding that he and Netanyahu have a good relationship. Trump said, “If we don't get the right answer, it could happen very quickly. We have not got the right answer. It will have to be 100% good answers.”
Pakistan and Qatar's draft
The United States sent a new proposal to Iran through Pakistani mediators. Qatar and Pakistan drafted a revised peace memo to bridge gaps between the United States and Iran, and an Arab official said the goal was to get Iran to provide more tangible benchmarks on its nuclear program and clearer information on how frozen Iranian funds will be released.
Sources close to Iran's negotiating team said Tehran's mediators were reviewing the document, but nothing had been finalized yet. Tehran said on Wednesday that talks were ongoing, and Pakistan's interior minister was in Tehran for his second visit in a week to help bridge the gaps.
Gaps remain open
A source with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday that there had been progress in talks with the Iranians on a memorandum of understanding and principles that would lay the groundwork for negotiations. The same sources said there were still gaps and no agreement had been reached yet.
Trump said, “we'd have to open the Strait; that would open immediately. We're gonna give this one shot. I'm in no hurry.” The next pressure point is the few days Trump said he would give for the talks, with Iran's response and the mediators' revised document carrying the process forward.
