Trump administration news: President doubles down on trade war, DHS shutdown impacts travel programs
President Donald Trump is curious as to why Iran hasn’t “capitulated” amid a vast US military build-up aimed at pressuring Tehran into a deal over its nuclear ambitions, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview aired yesterday.
His comments are the latest on a potential deal between the US and Iran after the countries held fresh talks earlier this week, though they ended without reaching a clear resolution. Take a look at this week’s developments below:
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran took place in Geneva, Switzerland. Iran demanded “the complete lifting” of sanctions as well as the establishment of trust regarding Tehran’s “peaceful nuclear program,” state-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as “positive,” adding that the countries agreed on “guiding principles” but more work needed to be done. He also warned that an agreement will not be reached “quickly.”
One US official told CNN “progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss.” The Iranian side “said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” the official added.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to say whether Trump would hold off on military action against Iran while waiting for its proposals.
The same day, sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the US military was prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend
Trump suggested that a decision on whether the US would strike Iran would come in “10-15 days.”
Earlier in the day, he had said, “now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that will be great. If they don’t join us, that will be great too, but it will be a very different path.”
Trump said he was “considering” a limited strike on Iran to pressure the country into a deal. Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group entered the Mediterranean Sea to join a significant number of other US military assets in the Middle East.
The same day, top Democrats sitting on the House Foreign Affairs, Intel and Armed Services committees urged the Trump administration not to conduct military action in Iran without congressional approval.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran and the US have differing views over sanctions relief. New talks have been planned for early March, the official said.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Nadeen Ebrahim, Mostafa Salem, Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, Zachary Cohen, Kevin Liptak, Kristen Holmes, Aileen Graef, Kit Maher, Brad Lendon, Haley Britzky, Farida Elsebai and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this reporting.