President Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with bombing at “a much higher level” than what the US and Israel previously unleashed on the country if it didn’t agree to unspecified US demands.
Trump’s threat, issued on Truth Social, came after he announced the US was pausing a military operation to “guide” ships out of the Strait of Hormuz but would continue to enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” the president said.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Also on Wednesday, Axios reported progress in negotiations between the US and Iran, saying that an agreement on a one-page, 14-point Memorandum of Understanding could be reached soon, but Iranian officials were quick to reject it.
Iran’s Fars news agency called the report “fabricated” and said it was intended to calm global markets and drive down oil prices. Sources told the outlet that Iran has yet to respond to the US’s latest proposal, which followed Iran’s submission of a 14-point plan to end the conflict late last week.
According to Drop Site News, the Iranian proposal focuses on bringing a permanent end to most hostilities in the region, including in Lebanon, where Israel continues heavy bombings in violation of a ceasefire it agreed to. The proposal also calls for an immediate end to the US blockade of Iran and suggests a 30-day period for negotiating an end to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz; then Iran would agree to enter negotiations on the future of its nuclear program.
Iran’s goals include getting US sanctions lifted, unfreezing billions in frozen Iranian assets, and guarantees that it won’t be attacked by the US and Israel again. According to the Axios report, the US and Iran are negotiating how long a moratorium on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program would last, and once it ends, Tehran will resume enrichment at the 3.67% level.
The Axios report said that Iran proposed a five-year moratorium while the US proposed 20 years, though Trump has previously denied that. Allowing any Iranian uranium enrichment would mark a significant concession from the Trump administration.
Negotiations continue to be indirect through Pakistan, as Iran has maintained that it won’t enter direct talks until the US lifts the blockade. But while diplomacy does appear to be taking place, Iranian officials are also preparing for the possibility of the US restarting the bombing campaign since Iran was attacked twice before while engaged in negotiations with the US.
