A question of when do I want to end it’: Trump says Iran wants deal but delays negotiations
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (local time) that Iran had approached Washington seeking a deal but suggested that Tehran was delaying negotiations, adding that he would decide when to end the ongoing confrontation.His remarks came as Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Wednesday criticised US President Donald Trump over his remarks on the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), accusing Washington of reneging on its commitments and calling for accountability over what he termed US misconduct.For Iran, this is nothing new. Washington has a long record of reneging on its commitments and treating international obligations as disposable whenever they become inconvenient,” he added.America did not start the war with Iran. Iran has been waging this war against America since 1979, killing many of our great people. They’ve killed thousands of our soldiers and wounded so many more,” Trump said.
He further criticised previous US leaders over their handling of the issue, saying, “Past leaders should have settled this problem long ago, but they didn’t have the courage or intelligence to do it.”We’re making a lot of progress with Russia-Ukraine. There’ll be a meeting set up very soon,” Trump said.Meanwhile, amidst reports that Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is to enter the United States following his defeat in Brazil’s presidential election, the Brazilian news site Bahia Notícias reported that Washington would grant visas to the senator and his family.
Trump was asked by the reporters whether he would approve of Flavio Bolsonaro coming to the United States; Trump responded positively and criticised the election in Brazil.
“I would approve. I think they’re fine people. The election was really strange, and I thought it was terrible… It would be okay with me,”
His statement on the ongoing conflict comes as US First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday announced that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine has taken effect beyond Oleshky two days ahead of schedule, with the move aimed at protecting civilians and facilitating the delivery of critical humanitarian aid to the conflict-affected area.
Trump also addressed a question about when the war in Iran would end, saying, “Somebody asked me before, ‘When will the war in Iran end?’ I said, ‘Whenever I want it to end.'”
Baghaei also criticised European states and others for their response to Washington, stating, “There is absolutely no justification for European states and other apologists for Washington to continue whitewashing U.S. misconduct and shielding it from accountability.””Broken commitments cannot be excused, international law cannot be applied selectively, and no amount of political spin can absolve Washington of accountability
In a post on X, Baghaei said, “Washington’s contempt for diplomacy is once again laid bare. President Trump’s admission that he never believed in the Islamabad MoU and considered it a waste of time exposes the hollowness of their diplomatic commitments.”
While returning from his rallies in Texas, addressing reporters, Trump said, “It’s a question of when do I want to end it… They’ve wanted to make a deal, but they like tapping it along. Maybe they’re waiting for the election or something — but that’s not gonna help them.”