Donald Trump said Iran pledged not to develop nuclear weapons, a crucial point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the war. In an interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump (Erik Trump’s wife), recorded earlier this week and broadcast yesterday on Fox News, the president said he had received assurances that Tehran would not acquire nuclear weapons, either by producing or purchasing them. «The only guarantee I need is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They accepted this, and it was very interesting,” Trump said. “They initially said, ‘We’re not going to develop a nuclear weapon.’ I said, ‘Okay, what would happen if you bought a nuclear weapon?’ Now they say: ‘We will not develop, and under no circumstances will we buy, a weapon.’ “I’m in no hurry,” he stated again. «Slowly but surely, I believe we will get what we want. And if we don’t get what we want, things will be different,” he added.
NYT: “The agreement proposal tightened by Trump has been sent to Iran”
President Trump has tightened the terms of a potential framework agreement to end the war in Iran and sent proposed changes back to the country for his consideration, according to three officials. The New York Times writes it. An official added that Trump was frustrated by the slowness with which Iran responded to the US proposals and further said that the changes made by Trump – a new, more rigid proposal – were probably aimed at speeding up the process, putting pressure on Iran to accept the framework framework already sent to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, for approval. Reaching the Supreme Leader has proven difficult, so any changes to the document, known as a memorandum of understanding, could lead to further delays, the New York Times continues. It was not immediately clear, the US newspaper said, what changes had been made to the text of the agreement. Two officials said Trump was concerned about some parts involving the release of funds intended for Iran. He had harshly criticized President Barack Obama for doing the same in the agreement signed more than a decade ago to limit Iran’s nuclear program. The proposals were developed with the involvement of intermediaries, including Pakistan.
Tehran: “We don’t trust the enemy’s promises”
“We do not trust the enemy’s declarations and promises.” This was stated by the President of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, underlining: “Our criterion is represented by the concrete results that we must obtain (during the talks with the United States) to fulfill our commitments. We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that we have guaranteed our rights”. Speaking in an online session of Parliament today, Ghalibaf, who is also the chief negotiator in the Iran-US talks, added: “The enemy is in a new phase of war with Iran, through economic pressure and media propaganda to sow discord in the country in order to compensate for its military failure and also to force us to submit. We must maintain unity. “The messages and guidance of Leader Mojtaba Khamenei are our road map,” he added, quoted by IRNA.
Pasdaran: “American drone shot down over Iranian territorial waters”
The Revolutionary Guards said in a press release that it had shot down a US forces MQ-1 drone that had trespassed into Iranian territorial waters. “The drone attempted to carry out hostile operations, but was immediately detected and shot down by the modern defense missiles of the Revolutionary Guards,” reads the statement, quoted by Tasnim, which warns: “Any aggression will be dealt with decisively.”
Iranian Army: “New aggressions will have harsher responses than previous ones”
Deputy Commander for Coordination of the Iranian Army Habibollah Sayyary warned that any new aggression against Iranian territory will receive an even more vigorous response than previous attacks. “Today, the Iranian army has the most advanced and modern equipment and has resisted any move of the enemy,” he said, quoted by state television, adding: “The army firmly and resolutely opposes any hostile action.”