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Deadlock
in the
Persian
Gulf:
Trump
Rejects
Iran’s
"Unacceptable"
Peace
Terms
Daoud
Al-Jaber
- Middle
East
Affairs
Analysis
Tell Us
Worldwide
News
Network
TEHRAN /
WASHINGTON
D.C.-
Hopes
for a
swift
resolution
to the
two-month-old
conflict
between
the
United
States
and Iran
hit a
significant
wall
Sunday
after
President
Donald
Trump
dismissed
Tehran’s
latest
counter-proposal
as
totally
unacceptable.
The
rejection
follows
a week
of
intense
shuttle
diplomacy
mediated
by
Pakistan,
aimed at
ending a
war that
began on
February
28 and
has
since
throttled
global
energy
markets
and
closed
the
vital
Strait
of
Hormuz.
According
to the
state-run
Islamic
Republic
News
Agency
and
semi-official
Tasnim
news,
Iran
delivered
its
response
through
Pakistani
mediators.
The
proposal
outlined
several
steep
conditions
for a
permanent
cessation
of
hostilities.
Tehran
is
reportedly
seeking
approximately
270
billion
dollars
in
compensation
for
damages
caused
by U.S.
and
Israeli
airstrikes.
Additional
demands
include
an
immediate
lifting
of all
U.S.
sanctions
on
Iranian
oil, an
end to
the
naval
blockade
of
Iranian
ports,
and the
unfreezing
of 20
billion
dollars
in
assets.
Furthermore,
Iran is
seeking
recognition
of its
full
authority
over the
Strait
of
Hormuz
and a
demand
that any
peace
deal
must
include
an end
to the
conflict
in
Lebanon
between
Israel
and
Hezbollah.
The
White
House
has
remained
firm on
its
Project
Freedom
objectives:
the
total
rollback
of
Iran’s
nuclear
program,
the
surrender
of its
enriched
uranium
stockpile,
and the
dismantling
of its
regional
proxy
network.
President
Trump
was
blunt in
his
assessment,
accusing
Tehran
of
playing
games
and
stating
they
would be
laughing
no
longer.
U.S.
Ambassador
to the
UN Mike
Waltz
stated
earlier
that the
administration
is
giving
diplomacy
every
chance
possible
before
returning
to
higher
level
hostilities.
Global
energy
markets
reacted
sharply
to the
news,
with oil
prices
jumping
nearly 3
dollars
a barrel
as fears
of a
prolonged
blockade
grew.
Currently,
the
Strait
of
Hormuz
remains
closed
to most
commercial
traffic,
with the
U.S.
maintaining
its own
retaliatory
blockade
on
Iranian
ports.
The
fragile
ceasefire
remains
in
place,
but
tensions
are high
following
reported
drone
incursions
in the
airspace
of the
UAE,
Kuwait,
and
Qatar
over the
weekend.
Both
sides
remain
at a
standoff,
with the
U.S.
threatening
renewed
intense
bombing
if a
deal is
not
reached
quickly.
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