Updated 05.25 | Published 05.08
US President Donald Trump has tightened his terms for a possible agreement with Iran and sent the proposal back to the other party, according to several sources to The New York Times.
The tougher demands could be seen as a possible attempt to speed up the negotiations and put pressure on Iran to accept the current draft of a deal, an official with knowledge of the matter told the paper.
According to the NYT’s information, the president has been frustrated, among other things, by how long Iran has taken to respond to the US proposal.
More concretely, Trump’s additions to the new proposal for Iran deal, among other things, with the country’s ability to manufacture nuclear weapons and to open up the Strait of Hormuz, the news site Axios learns.
At the same time as the new information about tougher requirements became known, the president reiterated again that the United States “is very close to a good deal” with Iran in an interview on Fox News on Saturday, local time.
– We will conclude a good agreement, otherwise we will just return and end it militarily, but this (an agreement) would go faster, he tells the channel and continues:
– It is probably better from a humanitarian point of view. There’s something good about it too, it saves a lot of lives – whether it’s on the opposing side or not.
Earlier this week, there were media reports that Iranian and American negotiators have agreed on a draft memorandum of understanding, but that it has not yet been approved by the countries’ leaders. That proposal must then have included, among other things, an extension of the ceasefire by 60 days.
