Trump: Iran ‘afraid’ to admit it wants a deal

President Donald Trump asserted that Iran is engaged in negotiations, accusing Tehran of publicly denying talks out of fear that Iranian negotiators could be killed by hardliners — or by the United States.

“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” Mr Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.

“They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”

The president’s remarks came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that “we do not intend to negotiate”.

Attacking his domestic critics, Mr Trump accused Democrats of attempting to “deflect from all of the tremendous success that we’re having in this military operation.”

In a jibe at calls from Democrats that he should seek congressional approval, Mr Trump said he would avoid the term “war” and instead use “military operation.”

“They don’t like the word ‘war,’ because you’re supposed to get approval, so I’ll use the word military operation.”

The White House earlier said Mr Trump was prepared to “unleash hell” if Iran did not accept defeat, while continuing to claim Tehran remained engaged in talks.

State media in Iran had reported, citing an unnamed official, that the Islamic Republic had responded “negatively” to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington.

‘Talks continue’

“If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again.”

When asked whether negotiations with Iran had stalled, Ms Leavitt insisted:

“Talks continue. They are productive.”

Ms Leavitt would not specify whom the US was engaging with inside Tehran after the reported assassination of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, whose son and named successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public.

Some reports have identified Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and a prominent non-clerical figure, as the Trump administration’s interlocutor.

A woman holds a portrait of Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei as people march in central Tehran

The spokesperson also declined to confirm media reports that senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, were due to meet Iranian representatives in Pakistan, a country that has emerged as a key mediator.

Mr Trump is deploying thousands of airborne troops and additional marines to the Gulf amid speculation he could order a ground invasion aimed at seizing Iranian oil assets or securing the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House reiterated the four- to six-week timeframe it previously gave for the military campaign.

Mr Trump announced on Wednesday that his trip to China to meet Xi Jinping has been rescheduled for mid-May, a six-week postponement he said was necessary because of the conflict.

“We’ve always estimated approximately four to six weeks (for the length of military operations against Iran), so you could do the math on that,” Ms Leavitt added.

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