Iran ‘wants to make a deal’ with US, says Trump

Speaking from the White House, Donald Trump assured that Iran “wants to reach an agreement” with the United States, adding that he had set a deadline for Tehran. Concerning a possible withdrawal of American forces sent to the Middle East, there is currently “no deadline,” he said.

“We have a large armada (…) which is heading towards Iran”, also indicated the American president, specifying that it is “even larger than the one sent to Venezuela”. “I hope not to have to use this force,” the American president said Thursday about the armada.

Faced with pressure from the United States, Iran assures that it is preparing for “an overwhelming response” in the event of American intervention, threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for the global transport of oil and liquefied natural gas.

Sanctions

Furthermore, Washington announced earlier Friday sanctions against several Iranian officials including the Minister of the Interior after the deadly repression of demonstrations in Iran in recent weeks. According to several NGOs, tens of thousands of people have died.

For its part, the European Union put pressure on the Islamic Republic by including the Revolutionary Guards on its list of “terrorist organizations” on Thursday.