Trump denies report of offering Iran sanctions relief
New York: US President Donald Trump denied a media report that his administration had offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
“Axios just released a story that ‘Trump’ offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump demands Axios “IMMEDIATELY” withdraw the story.
The Axios story came after Trump rejected an Iran-proposed ceasefire deal over the weekend, reports Xinhua news agency.
Iran’s proposed peace deal demands a suspension of the US blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Iran reopening the rest of the strait and resuming talks over its nuclear program, local media reported.
In response to Trump’s rejection of its peace proposal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that it is “up to President Trump to choose” between diplomacy and continuing the war.
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war,” Araghchi said.
Araghchi said Tehran would open the vital shipping passage if the United States ended the conflict, removed its blockade, released Iranian assets and allowed the country to sell oil.
“Our proposal is very clear. We are ready to open the Strait if certain things are done by the US,” Araghchi told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“We want our moneys, our assets, which are illegally frozen, to be released. We want, you know, to be able to sell our oil,” he said.
Araghchi said the steps sought by Iran could be completed within four or five days.
“If they want — if they are serious that they want a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, now there is the possibility,” he said. “We have offered this seven-day plan.”
The strait would reopen on day six, with negotiations on a broader agreement beginning the next day, he said.