Trump says Iran ‘afraid’ to admit it wants a deal

 The US president suggested Tehran denied peace talks because its negotiators feared being killed by their own side.

US President Donald Trump also repeated his assertion that Iran was being ‘decimated’ in the conflict now in its fourth week. (EPA Images pic)

WASHINGTON:

 US President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that Iran was taking part in peace talks, suggesting Tehran’s denials were because Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side.

“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,” Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.

“They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”

 US leader’s comments came after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that “we do not intend to negotiate”.

Trump repeated his assertion that Iran was being “decimated” in the conflict now in its fourth week, even though Tehran still maintains an effective stranglehold over the crucial Strait of Hormuz oil route.

Lashing out at his domestic opponents, Trump also claimed Democrats were trying to “deflect from all of the tremendous success that we’re having in this military operation.”

In a mocking reference to calls from Democrats for him to seek the approval of Congress for the conflict, Trump added: “They don’t like the word ‘war,’ because you’re supposed to get approval, so I’ll use the word military operation.”

The White House said earlier that Trump was ready to “unleash hell” if Iran did not admit defeat, while also insisting that Tehran is still taking part in talks.

Iranian state media had earlier cited an unidentified official as saying that the Islamic republic had responded “negatively” to a reported 15-point plan from Washington. - FMT