Donald Trump says rising economic costs will not force him into Iran deal

{"text":[[{"start":13.85,"text":"Donald Trump has said the economic toll and political discontent over the Iran war will not push him into making a deal with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend a fragile ceasefire."}],[{"start":25.35,"text":"The US president on Wednesday said he did not “care” about this year’s midterm elections and is unconcerned about the surge in energy prices because Americans “understand” the aims of the conflict. "}],[{"start":37.3,"text":"“They know that very simply, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I’m doing that for the world, I’m not doing it just for us,” Trump said in a cabinet meeting at the White House."}],[{"start":47.9,"text":"His comments come amid signs that the jump in petrol and diesel prices triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is exerting mounting costs on American consumers and businesses. The deepening cost of living crisis and concerns about the war among many Americans have pushed the president’s approval ratings towards record lows. "}],[{"start":67.1,"text":"Iranian state television had earlier on Wednesday broadcast details of a proposal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes of a deal and causing oil prices to fall sharply. "}],[{"start":80.89999999999999,"text":"The report, which Iranian TV later deleted without explanation, said that if a memorandum of understanding were reached, Iran would commit to restoring shipping through the waterway to prewar levels within a month. "}],[{"start":94.49999999999999,"text":"It added the US would also lift a naval blockade on Iran’s ports. But the White House called the report a “complete fabrication”. "}],[{"start":102.79999999999998,"text":"After a weekend of frantic negotiations and claims from the White House that a deal was near at hand, statements from Washington and Tehran on Wednesday appeared to underscore significant gaps remaining between the two adversaries."}],[{"start":115.99999999999999,"text":"Trump repeated his frequent claim that Iran “very much” wants to make a deal and that its military capabilities have been destroyed, but he said the US is “not satisfied” with the terms Iran has offered. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":126.84999999999998,"text":"“So far they haven’t gotten there, we’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,” Trump said. “They’re negotiating on fumes, but we’ll see what happens. Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t.”"}],[{"start":139.34999999999997,"text":"Trump added that he would not accept a short-term deal, nor would he be comfortable with Russia or China taking possession of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. And he insisted he had no plans to ease sanctions on Iran or unfreeze its foreign assets, a key demand from Tehran. “We’ll keep control of that money,” he said."}],[{"start":157.29999999999995,"text":"Asked whether he would be open to a deal under which Iran and Oman were handed control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said: “Nobody is going to control it. It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up.”"}],[{"start":173.29999999999995,"text":"Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, settled 5.3 per cent lower at $94.29 a barrel on Wednesday, after several days of volatile trading on conflicting signals about progress in the negotiations."}],[{"start":187.19999999999996,"text":"The FT has previously reported that under the terms of the draft proposal, a fragile April 8 ceasefire would be extended by 60 days, during which the strait would gradually be reopened as Iran cleared mines, and the US and Tehran would hold talks on the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme."}],[{"start":205.74999999999997,"text":"Trump again appeared to seek to pressure Washington’s Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to normalise ties with Israel, suggesting it should be a condition for the US reaching a deal with Iran."}],[{"start":218.19999999999996,"text":"“I think they owed that to us,” he said. “I’m not sure we should make the deal if they don’t sign.”"}],[{"start":223.84999999999997,"text":"The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan agreed to normalise ties with Israel through Trump’s landmark Abraham Accords of his first administration. But Saudi Arabia and most other Arab states have said they cannot recognise Israel until the issue of a two-state solution, with a state for Palestinians, is addressed — something that Israel has rejected outright."}],[{"start":245.69999999999996,"text":"Iran’s top negotiators Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the powerful parliamentary speaker, and Abbas Araghchi, foreign minister, returned to Tehran on Tuesday after talks in Doha with Qatari mediators."}],[{"start":259.29999999999995,"text":"They were expected to discuss the latest progress with Iran’s leadership, including Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, supreme leader, who has not been seen in public since he succeeded his father who was assassinated on the first day of the war."}],[{"start":274.04999999999995,"text":"Tasnim, a semi-official news agency affiliated to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, quoted a person close to the negotiations as saying the talks in Doha were positive and focused on the release of $24bn of Iranian assets held overseas, with Tehran wanting half of the funds disbursed in the first phase of an agreement."}],[{"start":294.29999999999995,"text":"Trump has made reopening the strait a priority as he seeks to ease the worst global energy crisis in decades."}],[{"start":301.04999999999995,"text":"Iran slowed the flow of vessels through the strait to a trickle after the US and Israel launched their war on February 28."}],[{"start":308.65,"text":"Tehran has insisted it wants to charge ships a fee for passing through the strait, but under the proposed deal under discussion it would not do so for the duration of the 60-day period, a person briefed on the talks said."}],[{"start":322.5,"text":"Negotiations would also begin over Iran’s nuclear programme, with a commitment to discuss Tehran either diluting or handing over its 440kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium."}],[{"start":334.75,"text":"In return, the US would agree, in phases, to sanctions relief and the unblocking of Iran’s assets held overseas, although that would depend on progress towards a final agreement. Trump has repeatedly said he wanted Iran to hand over what he described as its “nuclear dust”."}],[{"start":351.7,"text":"On Monday, he posted that the highly enriched uranium “will either be immediately turned over to the United States . . . or, preferably, in conjunction with the Islamic republic of Iran, destroyed in place, or at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event”."}],[{"start":372.05,"text":"The unfreezing of Iran’s assets held overseas was the last “serious sticking point” in the negotiations, Iranian news agency Fars reported on Tuesday, citing a person close to the talks."}],[{"start":393.75,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779936491_3749.mp3"}