In an interview with CNN, the US president says that it is “highly unlikely” that the war will resume, provided progress is made in negotiations on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme.
“It depends on whether they sign a very sustainable agreement,” Trump says, adding that he is confident an agreement will be signed.
Digesting the election results
At the same time, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the country's negotiators have not met with their counterparts since the midterm elections.
“It will take time before the atmosphere is favorable to resume the mediators' trips,” Araghchi tells Iranian state media, according to AFP.
“We will now see how long it takes for them to digest the election results and then decide how to move forward,” he continues.
Araghchi has previously commented on the US election, saying: “American voters have made their choice. It is time for the White House to do its part.” He was referring to the fact that criticism of the war was, according to several election analyses, a major reason voters helped the Democrats win big.
Silent on a solution
On election day, November 3, both the US and Iran were said to be studying new peace proposals, and 24 hours earlier the countries had held “intensive” talks about a settlement.
“Due to the sensitivity and seriousness of the current situation, consultations and deliberations are very intensive. Qatar and Pakistan have important roles as mediators in these negotiations,” Araghchi said in a video interview with the state news agency Irna at the time.
Since then, however, there has been largely silence about a diplomatic solution.
Despite that, Trump says on Sunday:
“It is highly unlikely that I will have to strike. But if necessary, we will strike them very hard.”
The US has carried out “limited” attacks on Iran over the weekend, but not on the scale of those carried out when the war began eight months ago.
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