Summary The US President says Tehran had an interest in reaching an agreement
(Web Desk) – US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Saturday over the stalled negotiations on its nuclear programme, saying Tehran would face severe consequences if it refused to reach an agreement, even as diplomatic efforts remained mired in mutual accusations and failed proposals.
In a telephone interview with French broadcaster BFMTV, Trump expressed uncertainty about whether a deal was imminent.
"I have no idea. If they don't, they're going to have a very bad time," Trump told the network, before adding that Tehran had "an interest in reaching an agreement."
The remarks came amid reports that Trump was weighing in the coming hours whether to authorize a resumption of military strikes against Iran, following a series of negotiating rounds that have so far produced no lasting resolution.
Regional tensions have remained acute since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, a campaign that triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in Gulf states and led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a significant share of global oil supplies flows.
A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took effect on April 8, but subsequent talks in Islamabad collapsed without a durable accord. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a naval blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports through the strait.
The diplomatic standoff has been shaped by sharply divergent sequencing demands. Washington has insisted on resolving the nuclear file before hostilities formally end, while Tehran has demanded an end to the fighting and the lifting of the blockade before it will discuss its nuclear program in earnest.
Trump has said he rejected Iran's most recent peace proposal outright after finding its opening terms "unacceptable," claiming he discarded it upon reading the first sentence.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added to the mounting acrimony this week, accusing the Trump administration of sending contradictory signals. "We are in doubt about their seriousness," Araghchi said, adding that mixed messaging from Washington had made Tehran "reluctant about the real intentions of Americans."
IRAN REOPENS STOCK MARKET ON TUESDAY
Iran will reopen its stock market on Tuesday after a suspension during the US-Israeli war on the country, Iran’s IRNA news agency cites a senior official as saying, Reuters reports.
“The suspension of stock market activities from the start of the war was aimed at protecting shareholders’ assets, preventing panic-driven trading and allowing for more transparent pricing conditions,” says Hamid Yari, deputy supervisor at the Securities and Exchange Organisation.
“Now, with the reopening of the stock market, we will see the full resumption of all capital market sectors,” he adds.
ISRAELI STRIKES HIT LEBANESE CITIES, CASUALTIES REPORTED
Israel has carried out multiple attacks on the Tyre and Nabatieh districts of southern Lebanon.
An air strike has hit the Hamadieh area near al-Bass road in Ma’rakah, while another attack on Hawsh Tyre has killed and wounded several people and caused extensive damage to homes, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reports.
The exact number of casualties remains unclear. A drone strike has also targeted the town of Qusaybah in Nabatieh as air raids strike Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.
Additionally, artillery fire has hit the outskirts of Mazraat al-Hamra towards Yohmor al-Shaqif, as well as the Ali al-Taher forest on the edge of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to the report.
COMOROS SUSPENDS FUEL PRICE HIKES AFTER DEADLY PROTESTS
Comoros has announced the temporary suspension of new fuel prices introduced in response to the Iran war, backing down after the hikes prompted demonstrations and deadly clashes across the East African archipelago, Reuters reports.
The announcement comes after one person was killed and five injured in confrontations between protesters and security forces on the island of Anjouan.
“The government and President Azali (Assoumani) heard the cries of the Comorian people. There was no other solution than to listen to them. The goal is to preserve peace,” Energy Minister Aboubacar Sad Anli says at a press conference.
