The diplomatic thriller in the Middle East continues, with Iran sending a clear message to the United States, emphasizing that “the ball is now in Donald Trump’s court” regarding the course of negotiations. Talks between the US and Iran appear to be approaching a deadlock, as Tehran sets the unfreezing of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets as a basic precondition for any agreement.
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Mohsen Rezaee, military advisor to the country’s supreme leader, told CNN that the talks have reached an impasse and only Washington can unblock the situation. “Negotiations are at a deadlock and Donald Trump must break this deadlock. The ball is in the American president’s court,” he stated characteristically. According to him, Tehran demands the immediate release of $12 billion as soon as an interim agreement is signed and another $12 billion at a later stage.
Rezaee presented the demand as a trust test between the two countries. “If Trump wants to reach an agreement with Iran, these $24 billion are a trust test that Iran wants to set for Trump. It’s a test that the United States must pass and then the path will open,” he said, adding: “It’s our money, not America’s.”
Iranian official rules out meeting between Donald Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei
At the same time, the Iranian official warned of serious consequences in case of renewed conflicts. As he stated, if the US returns to military operations against Iran, the conflict could extend far beyond the Persian Gulf. “We will give another character to the war, hitting other American bases beyond those we have already targeted,” he mentioned, although he estimated that “the probability of war is small.”
Rezaee also ruled out the possibility of a meeting between Donald Trump and Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. “This is not going to happen. We are still in the first stage of negotiations and Mr. Trump has led the talks to a deadlock. This will not happen,” he emphasized.
“Iran and Oman have sovereign rights” in the Strait of Hormuz
Referring to the Strait of Hormuz, he reiterated Tehran’s position that Iran and Oman have sovereign rights in the region and should jointly manage this specific maritime route, through which a large part of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passes. He also left open the possibility of imposing charges on passing ships, arguing that it would be maintenance costs and not tolls.
The Iranian official also appeared particularly cautious about the possibility of a new nuclear agreement with Washington, reminding that Trump had withdrawn the US from the 2015 agreement. He also accused the American president of following a strategy of “ambiguity” in negotiations.
Indeed, he warned that if talks fail and the US proceeds with military invasion of Iranian territory, Tehran’s response will be harsh. “Then the world will understand Iran’s real capabilities, because our ground power is many times greater than the strength of our missiles,” he declared.
In closing, Rezaee characterized the recent conflict with the US and Israel as a historic success for the Islamic Republic. “It is the first time that Iran emerges victorious from wars, while in all previous wars it had been defeated,” he claimed.
