Trump says he will postpone strikes on Iran’s power plants after “productive talks”
Washington – President Trump said early Monday that he was there to postpone airstrikes on Iran’s power facilities after “excellent and productive discussions” two days ago about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran initially denied any such talks, but a senior official in Iran’s Foreign Ministry later told CBS News exclusively that “we have received points from the US through mediators and they are being reviewed.”
“I have instructed the Department of Defense to postpone any military strikes against Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for a period of five days, subject to the success of ongoing meetings and negotiations,” said Mr. Trump on social media.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran denied the claims made by Mr. Trump about negotiations. But speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Mr. Trump said that was wrong.
“Well, they’re going to have to find better public relations people,” said Mr. “We’ve had very strong discussions. We’ll see where it leads us. We have points, major points of agreement, I would say almost all the points of the agreement. Maybe that hasn’t been passed. The communication, as you know, has fallen to pieces.”
The president would not say who his administration was talking to in Iran, only saying it was a “high-ranking” person but no supreme leader. Mr. Trump added that Iran had contacted the US, saying, “So they called, I didn’t call. They called. They want to make a deal.”
Mr. Trump declined to name anyone “because I don’t want him killed.”
The comments of Mr. Trump on Monday is about the face from social media over the weekend when he announced that if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz, the US will “strike and destroy their ENERGY PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONES FIRST!”
Lt. Gen. Retired HR McMaster, a former national security adviser in the first Trump administration and a CBS News contributor, says the Iranian regime is “divided right now” and that the State Department “probably doesn’t know” who is talking to “intermediaries or directly to the US.”
“I think we’re going to see a lot of confusing reporting because the Iranian people are very divided on these strikes,” McMaster said.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told “Look at the Nation” with Margaret Brennan“On Sunday Mr. Trump was keeping all options on the table for possible strikes.
“At the rate we’re reducing their military capabilities and their defense bases, all options should be on the table, and the president has made that clear,” Waltz said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told Politico last week that attacks on energy infrastructure on both sides could amount to war crimes. Waltz responded on Sunday that “when you have a state that is involved in such critical infrastructure that is using it to further, not just oppress its own people, attack its neighbors and violate UN sanctions, marching toward a nuclear weapon, that makes those goals legitimate.”
The Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway, before the war with Iran, which carried 20% of the world’s oil exports, has been effectively closed since the war began. Iran said over the weekend that the Strait would be “completely closed” if Mr. Trump is making his threats against nuclear power plants.
Oil and gas prices are both falling immediately on Monday morning after the announcement of Mr. Trump for negotiations.
