President Donald Trump has stated that the Iranian government is eager to hold talks to bring the war to an end, which has raged for nearly a month.
The comments were made by the President as the United States prepared to send over 1,000 additional troops to the region, despite the fact that the country’s own lawmakers are unsure if the White House has any plan in place.
During the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual fundraising event in Washington, the United States President stated that the Iranian government is in active talks with 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. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
The Iranian government, however, has given a different picture of the situation.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the United States shift in policy and desire to hold talks with the country was actually the White House admitting failure, despite the fact that the Iranian government had refused what he referred to as unconditional surrender.
After Iran rejected a 15 point US peace proposal that had been sent through Pakistan, the diplomatic standoff intensified.
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Iranian officials responded by outlining five demands for the conflict to end, including a guarantee of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for war damages and specific guarantees that hostilities would not resume.
The military build up proceeded in the meantime. In the next few days, about a thousand members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division were anticipated to deploy to the Middle East.
The deployment could put between 6,000 and 8,000 US ground troops in close proximity to Iran, especially when combined with two Marine Expeditionary Units already heading toward the Persian Gulf.
Growing frustration on Capitol Hill
The escalation also prompted sharp criticism from Trump’s own party.
The US lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee expressed their frustration after a classified briefing by defence and intelligence officials.
Both Republicans and Democrats complained about the lack of clarity over the objectives and timeline of the war.
Republican lawmaker Nancy Mace claimed that she had “felt misled” by the officials during the briefing.
She also claimed that the officials had provided few answers and she would not vote for funding the war. She added that the longer the war continued, the less support it would receive.
The war, which has entered its fourth week under the codename “Epic Fury” has already had a significant impact on global energy markets.
Trump claimed that a nuclear capable Iran was like a “cancer.” He added that the US had no choice. Trump also claimed that the war had increased oil prices by more than expected.
The offer by Pakistan to host direct talks and Israel’s push for extending the military operations for several weeks have left the road to a ceasefire uncertain.
