The US warned on Saturday it was “more than capable” of resuming war with Iran after President Donald Trump noted that any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons.
After weeks of confusing signals in tense negotiations, the White House indicated that Trump was close to reaching an initial agreement, though Tehran denied there was a final agreement to resolve the Middle East conflict, which has rattled the global economy.
US sources told AFP that the deal was awaiting Trump’s approval, but the president had made no decision following a two-hour discussion in the White House Situation Room in Washington on Friday.
Meanwhile, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth stated on Saturday local time, while addressing a big Asia defense forum in Singapore, that Washington could begin the war if it so desired.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary is that we are more than capable; our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,” he said.
That matched the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) statement on X that American forces “remain present and vigilant across the region.”
This week, US strikes on the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas were met with retaliatory fire from Iran, casting doubt on efforts to reach a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.
Diplomacy continued, including a parallel process to end fighting in Lebanon, which Iran has insisted be included in any formal end to the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israeli forces had advanced further, even as military delegations from both nations met at the Pentagon in Washington.
Trump’s priorities in any deal included Iran agreeing to never develop nuclear weapons and reopening the blockaded Strait.
“President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” a White House official told AFP after the meeting.
“Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official added.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei rebuffed Trump’s demands, telling state media that the Islamic republic “said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago.”
He noted that message exchanges were still going on, but “no final agreement has been reached yet.”
According to state news agency IRNA, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated during a phone chat with Qatar’s Emir that Iran was ready to reach a “dignified framework” to end the war.
In his post, Trump stated that Tehran will remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz and stop its shutdown of the waterway, with “no tolls,” while the US would relax its parallel blockade of Iranian ports.
He also stated that “no money will be exchanged until further notice.” The two countries would also work together to remove and destroy Iran’s enriched uranium.
Iran’s Fars news agency, however, claimed sources as saying Tehran was demanding “the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets” before going on to the next phase of negotiations.
About the toll-free reopening of Hormuz, the sources claimed “no such clause appears in the text of the agreement,” while Trump’s comment about eliminating Iran’s nuclear material “is fundamentally baseless.”
Ali, a resident of the city of Tonekabon north of Tehran, stated that there would likely be more strife to come.
“Both sides are speaking in a way that keeps their supporters satisfied. It’s not clear who is telling the truth,” the 49-year-old said.
