President Donald Trump cautiously praised the latest round of negotiations between the United States and Iran to end their five-weeklong war, saying the talks have taken a “significant step” forward as the two sides trade proposals.
“It’s a significant step,” Trump told reporters Monday after remarks at the White House’s Easter egg roll. “It’s not good enough, but it’s a very significant step.”
Talks between the two countries have hit a critical juncture ahead of a Tuesday night deadline that Trump set for Iran to come to an agreement with U.S. negotiators. The president wrote in a profanity-laden Truth Social post on Easter Sunday that Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz — or else it would be “living in Hell.”
Ahead of the Tuesday deadline, Trump said at the White House that it is “highly unlikely” he will move it back.
Iran reportedly rejected a proposal on Monday drafted by mediators from Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey that called for a 45-day ceasefire and reopening of the maritime channel, which is critical for oil transport. Iran sent its own 10-point list in response, according to a report from Axios. A U.S. official told the outlet that the counterproposal was “maximalist,” and that it was unclear if it would allow the two countries to come to a diplomatic solution.
Trump bemoaned to reporters that Iran just won’t “say ‘uncle.’”
“They don’t want to cry, as the expression goes, ‘uncle,’ but they will,” Trump said. “And if they don’t, they’ll have no bridges. They’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything.”
The head of the Iranian diplomatic mission told the Associated Press that the Middle Eastern country won’t “merely accept a ceasefire.”
“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
Trump asserted that if it were up to him, he would take Iran’s oil supply and keep it for the U.S.
“If I had my choice, what would I like to do?” Trump mused. “Take the oil, because it’s there for the taking. There’s not a thing they can do about it. Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me. I take the oil, I keep the oil, and would make plenty of money.”
The president went on to say he would “take care of the people of Iran much better than they’ve been taken care of,” citing the thousands of protesters killed by Iran’s leadership. Trump claimed that the Iranian people are happy with the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, saying that the “only reason they’re not out protesting” is because they are afraid of being killed.
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“We sent guns, a lot of guns, they were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs,” Trump said. “You know what happened? The people that they sent … kept them because they said, ‘What a beautiful gun. I think I’ll keep it.’ So, I’m very upset with a certain group of people, and they’re going to pay a big price for that.”
The U.S. attempted to send guns to the Iranian people through the Kurds, Trump previously told Fox News.