Donald Trump has said he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but also expressed skepticism it would lead to a deal.
'I'll let you know about it later,' the president said before boarding Air Force One, adding that 'they're going to give me the exact wording now.'
Shortly after speaking to reporters, Trump posted on social media about the new proposal. 'I can't imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity, and the world, over the last 47 years,' he wrote on Truth Social.
Two Iranian news outlets, Tasnim and Fars, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said Tehran had sent a 14-point proposal via Pakistan in response to a nine-point US plan. Iran's state-run media had not reported on the new proposal. Pakistan has hosted previous negotiations between Iran and the United States.
It came as Trump faces growing pressure to end the war as the rising cost of gas and household energy looms over the midterm elections in November. This summer average seasonal electricity expenditure for American consumers is projected to rise 8.5 per cent from $717 to $778 for June to September, according to an analysis by the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate.
Trump said he did not expect the Iranian plan to be satisfactory, because 'they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity.' Smoke rises in Habboush in southern Lebanon after Israeli strikes on Friday.
Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal this week. Discussions, however, have continued, and the three-week ceasefire appears to be holding. The US president has also floated a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through.
It comes after the US warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, adding pressure in the standoff for control over it. Iran effectively closed the strait by attacking and threatening ships after the US and Israel launched the war on February 28. Tehran later offered some ships safe passage via routes closer to its shore, charging fees at times.
The US on Friday warned against transfers not only in cash but also in 'digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,' including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies. Trump's administration responded with a naval blockade of Iranian ports since April 13, depriving Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command on Saturday said 48 commercial ships have been told to turn back. It comes after Iran on Saturday said it hanged two men convicted of spying for Israel. The judiciary's news outlet, Mizanonline, said one of the men, Yaghoub Karimpour, was accused of sending 'sensitive information' to an officer in Israel's Mossad intelligence agency. The second man, Nasser Bekrzadeh, allegedly sent details about government and religious leaders as well as information about Natanz. The city is home to a nuclear enrichment facility bombed by Israel and the US last year.
