Trump to Axios: Iran deal possible by Tues., otherwise "I am blowing up everything"
· Axios
President Trump claimed in an interview with Axios that the U.S. is "in deep negotiations" with Iran and that a deal can be reached before his deadline expires on Tuesday.
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- "There is a good chance, but if they don't make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there," he said.
Why it matters: The mediators are less optimistic that a deal is close but say they will work to the last minute to reach at least a partial agreement to delay Trump's ultimatum. Trump has threatened to destroy infrastructure that is vital to Iranian civilians if he is unable to reach a deal with their leaders.
- Tehran has accused Trump of planning to commit war crimes and threatened to retaliate with similar attacks against infrastructure in Israel and the Gulf states.
- Asked by Axios whether he worried he would be harming innocent Iranian civilians, Trump said he thinks civilians who oppose their government would support such strikes to weaken the regime. "They are living in fear. They are afraid we are gonna leave in the middle of the war, but we are not going to leave," Trump said.
- Over the last ten days, the U.S. and Iran have held indirect negotiations through Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey to try to reach a ceasefire deal in return for opening the Strait of Hormuz. No significant progress has been made.
Driving the news: On Sunday morning, shortly before the phone interview with Axios, Trump threatened to bomb Iran's power plants and bridges starting Tuesday if the regime doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz.
- "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***kin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," Trump wrote.
- Later Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social a deadline of Tuesday at 8pm ET.
State of play: In an 8-minute phone call, Trump told Axios his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are holding intense negotiations with the Iranians.
- Two sources involved in the negotiations said the talks are taking place through Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators, but also through text messages sent between Trump's advisers and Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
- "The negotiations are going well, but you never get to the finish line with the Iranians," Trump said.
- He claimed that several days ago the U.S. and Iran were close to an agreement to hold direct negotiations.
- "But then they said they will meet us in five days. So I said, 'Why five days?' I felt they were not being serious. So I attacked the bridge," Trump said, referring to Wednesday's strike on a bridge that connects Tehran with northern Iran.
What to watch: Two sources briefed on the mediation efforts said the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are trying to reach a package of confidence-building measures that could lead to an extension of Trump's ultimatum and get the parties closer to a meeting.
- The three ministers held phone calls on Saturday with both Witkoff and Araghchi on this issue, but no breakthrough was achieved.