Trump Says New Iran Strikes Unlikely if Talks Keep Moving Forward

WASHINGTON/CAIRO: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was unlikely to order fresh strikes on Iran if negotiations to end the war continued to move forward. Meanwhile, both countries reported that ships had been targeted in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking by telephone to CNN, Trump said everything depended on whether Iran signed a very strong agreement. In his view, the need for new strikes was highly unlikely. He also said that if hostilities resumed, the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges that could be brought down within an hour.

Trump had signalled a return to major strikes after last week’s US midterm elections, but no signs of a large American military operation have emerged.

Iran has said it would respond by targeting American and Israeli objectives.

The US military said on Saturday evening that its air force had fired on the stern of a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, disabling it, after the ship attempted to break the American blockade. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy said two oil tankers attempting to pass through Hormuz via an “unauthorised route” had struck mines and caught fire. According to the Fars News Agency, a third tanker was also hit by an explosion and caught fire. Reuters could not verify these reports.

Iranian state television said the explosions in southern Iran on Saturday evening were possibly related to Iranian military activity, and that missile strikes on Iranian soil had not been confirmed.

Qatar, which is mediating, on Saturday denied reports that the United States and Iran had failed to reach an agreement. According to the Qatari prime minister, both sides are working towards a deal.

A senior Iranian official said on Thursday that Iran had sent a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar. However, the talks depend on seven demands being met, including sanctions relief, access to frozen assets and war reparations. Washington insists that the initial negotiations include the nuclear issue.