Washington: US President Donald Trump said military strikes against Iran could resume “if they misbehave” even as he said that he was reviewing a fresh proposal from Tehran to end the now paused war.
Trump, on his way to Miami from Palm Beach, said he was reviewing a fresh proposal from Iran to end the war, but was sceptical about reaching a deal, contending that Tehran had not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity and the world over the past 47 years.
“If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we will see. It’s a possibility that could happen, certainly,” Trump said at the Palm Beach airport after a round of golf and an appointment with his local dentist.
The US President said he was looking at the new proposal sent by Iran on the plane and would talk to the media in Miami.
“I’m looking at it (on the plane). I’ll let you know about it later… They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now,” Trump said.
Later, an aide to the president said there would be no press conference in Miami.
Trump posted on social media about the new proposal, saying he “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”.
No details were immediately available about the new proposal that Trump was examining.
Axios reported quoting two sources that the proposal, sent Thursday, set a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and in Lebanon.
As per the Iranian proposal, only after such a deal is reached, another month of negotiations would be launched to try and reach a deal on the nuclear programme, Axios reported, quoting two sources.
Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal this week, saying he was not satisfied with it. However, conversations have continued, and the three-week ceasefire appears to be holding.
Trump was also briefed Thursday by CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper about new plans for military strikes against Iran. Cooper then left for the region and Saturday met soldiers on the USS Tripoli in the Arabian Sea.
The US President is also facing pressure from the high gas prices that have shot up to USD 4.39 per gallon, an increase of 47 per cent since the war with Iran began February 28.
This week, price pressures worsened as President Donald Trump said that he wants to maintain the blockade on Iranian ports, which the US Navy has been enforcing since April 13.
“Now gasoline is high. As soon as the war ends, the gasoline prices will come down,” Trump told reporters Friday.
