Trump says US 'not satisfied' with Iran deal yet

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US President Donald Trump has said he is “not satisfied” yet with the terms of the deal being negotiated with Iran.

He said Tehran was “very much intent” on reaching an agreement to end the conflict, but added “so far they haven’t gotten there”, repeating Washington’s willingness to resume strikes if one is not reached.

His remarks came after Iranian state TV reported what it said were details of a draft agreement, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of US forces from the region.

The White House branded the text a “complete fabrication”.

Both sides signalled progress had been made towards a deal late last week, prompting speculation an announcement was close.

However, they soon tempered expectations, with Tehran cautioning a deal was “not imminent”, while Trump said he had instructed his negotiators “not to rush into” one.

Speaking to reporters at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the US president said: “They just want to make a deal – I don’t think they have a choice.

He added: “They’re negotiating on fumes.”

Trump also said: “Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal.

“So far, they haven’t gotten there and we’re not satisfied with it. But now we will be we will be either that or will have to just finish the job.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been “some progress and some interest” in negotiations, adding: “We’ll see over the next few hours and days whether progress could be made.”

While both Trump and Rubio continued to express optimism that talks were progressing well, neither gave any details of which specific disagreements continued between the two sides.

Trump did not address the 14 points reported by Iranian media earlier on Wednesday – many of which would have raised eyebrows in Washington and likely been seized upon by the US president’s detractors and political opponents.

The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes against Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East.

Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel, which sent global oil prices soaring.

A ceasefire was agreed on 8 April which has largely been observed by both sides, but talks to resolve the conflict had stalled in recent weeks.

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