US President Donald Trump has ordered negotiators to cut off talks with Iran indefinitely, halting “positive discussions” with the Islamic Republic, CNN reports, citing US officials.
Trump claimed as much on Tuesday, writing on his Truth Social platform: “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The comment came a day after his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior member of the negotiating team, spoke of “robust” conversations between the US and Iran, while acknowledging that Tehran wasn’t yet ready to make a deal that is satisfactory to Washington.
According to the CNN report, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Iran’s unwillingness to meet his demands, and has thus decided to shift strategies, cutting off engagement until Tehran shows it is willing to make a deal to his liking.
In talks with allies, administration officials described the shift as going from “’hammer Iran ASAP’ to ‘strangle them’ over time,” CNN reports, noting that the White House believes economic pressure will eventually lead Iran to fold on the Strait of Hormuz and other key issues.
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