The War that goes on and on

Iran Again Refuses to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Unless US Meets Demands

Trump said on Aug. 9 that the United States was only semi-negotiating with Iran after the regime demanded multiple concessions.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that an agreement on the establishment of a new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz had entered the “final stages.”

However, Araghchi reiterated the regime’s position that the new shipping lanes would not be opened until the United States agreed to Tehran’s demands.

On Aug. 8, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad-Bagher Zolghadr said the United States would need to comply with multiple demands for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen.

The demands included the United States ending its war with Iran, removing the naval blockade, withdrawing military troops, lifting sanctions on the regime, releasing blocked Iranian assets, paying damages caused by the war, and avoiding future threats against Iran.

“I see that Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five month Military Conflict (started because, THEY WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON), even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings!”wrote Trump.

In response to Tehran’s demands, Trump demanded compensation from Iran for all of the people killed and wounded by the regime’s roadside bombs and conflicts.

Trump added that the families of hundreds of thousands of innocent protesters killed by the regime over the past 50 years, including the 52,000 people he said were killed in the past five months, should receive compensation.

“I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump said.

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Detailed analysis from the Atlantic Council and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggests that while Iran is far weaker militarily, it still holds leverage through its ability to disrupt global oil trade until a final deal is signed.

More talks begin today on Iran

Trump says Iran talks begin Monday (today) after canceling ‘biggest attack since World War II’

The President says Gulf allies and Iran asked him to give diplomacy more time as negotiators seek to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and revive a June peace framework, though Tehran has not accepted his account or the proposed terms.

President Donald Trump said Aug. 2 that negotiations with Iran would begin the next afternoon after he canceled a massive planned U.S. strike, creating a new but uncertain opening toward an end to the five-month war.

Trump said the original planned operation “would have been by far the biggest attack since World War II” and “disastrous” for Iran.

Reuters reported July 31, citing CBS News sources, that U.S. and Israeli officials had been preparing strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, but Trump did not confirm whether those targets were part of the canceled plan.

Trump said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Iran had urged him not to launch the attack. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told him regional governments “would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don’t know where these attacks lead,” according to the President.

In a Saturday Truth Social announcement, Trump claimed regional governments had reached the “perimeters of a deal” providing for the immediate and complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a guarantee of no nuclear weapons development on the part of Iran. He said Israel had joined his commitment to pursue the agreement and that the attack would remain canceled only if a deal could be completed rapidly.

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Trump keeps warning Iran

Trump Warns of Strong Military Action if Iran Diplomacy Fails

President Trump announced the U.S. is in very deep talks with Iran while warning that strong military action remains on the table if negotiations fail to produce results.

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States is engaged in "very deep talks" with Iran, while warning that "strong military action" remains on the table if diplomatic efforts fail to produce results. The comments came as U.S. forces observed a pause in strikes against Iranian targets.

Trump addressed reporters during a press availability, emphasizing that military pressure had forced Tehran to the negotiating table. "The only reason they want to meet is because we've been hitting them very hard," the president said. "They understand now that we are serious."

The remarks coincide with a fragile diplomatic pause in the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict that began in late February. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz confirmed that the administration had halted strikes to give diplomacy more time, though he stressed that military readiness remained intact.

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It seems as if negotiations have been going on forever.

Marco will be the Point Man on Cuba

Trump signals Cuba could follow Venezuela's diplomatic path, says Havana 'wants to talk very badly'

President Donald Trump told Axios in a recent interview that Cuba may be next in line for a diplomatic opening similar to the one his administration has pursued with Venezuela, and that Havana is eager to begin.

"Cuba wants to talk very badly," Trump said, adding that he plans to deploy Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead any future discussions with the island's government.

The remarks, first reported by Newsmax, amount to the clearest public signal yet that the administration sees Cuba and Venezuela as linked pieces of a broader Western Hemisphere strategy.

Trump did not spell out what a Cuba initiative would look like or whether formal talks are imminent. But his language, and his choice of envoy, suggests the White House is at least testing the waters.

When asked about next steps, Trump pointed directly to his top diplomat. "We're going to have Marco get involved," he said.

That choice carries weight. Rubio, a Cuban American, has spent years as one of Washington's most vocal critics of the Castro regime and its successors. He has consistently advocated maintaining pressure on Havana and Caracas while supporting democratic opposition movements across the region. Naming him as the point man signals the administration does not intend to offer concessions without conditions.

Rubio is described as one of the administration's most influential voices on Latin American policy. His involvement would give any Cuba opening a hawkish anchor, a negotiator unlikely to trade away leverage for goodwill alone.

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Who can believe Iran?

Trump Says Iran Has Agreed to No Nuclear Weapons

President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran.

Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and open the Strait of Hormuz maritime route after weeks of efforts to secure a deal despite fractious rhetoric and the occasional flare up of armed conflict.

The New York Times and Axios media outlets reported on Saturday that Trump had sent back a new framework to be considered by Iran with "tougher" terms, though it was not immediately clear what that entailed.

Trump has said his priorities for any deal include stopping Iran from any nuclear weapon development and re-opening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has said it requires the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before it moved to substantive talks on issues such as its nuclear program and called earlier Trump comments that its enriched uranium -- a precursor for nuclear weapons -- would be destroyed "baseless," according to Iranian media.

"I'm in no hurry," Trump said. "Slowly but surely we're getting, I think, what we want and if we don't get what we want, we're going to end in a different way."

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I think we're all sick of the bull sh!t. President Trump, if you want to end this war in a "different way," just do it.

Iran Negotiations proceeding

'Not to rush': Trump says 'time is on our side' as negotiations with Iran continue

'Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!'

President Donald Trump on Sunday issued an update on peace negotiations with Iran, as he's instructing his representatives "not to rush into a deal."

"The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side," Trump posted on Truth Social.

"The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!

"Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.

The president also shared an X post by Trey Yingst of Fox News, who quoted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as saying: "We are ready to assure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons. We are not seeking instability in the region."

WND

Different Strategies - Weakness and Strength

Iran's Peace Process

You can not trust Iran for one day

Hormuz traffic status disintegrates when Iran rejects port blockade

Just a day after President Donald Trump and Iran officials both announced that traffic was resuming through the Strait of Hormuz, a key path that carries some 20% of the world's oil supplies, Iran has reversed course.

It announced heading into the weekend that the "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces."

The rogue Islamic regime is protesting Trump's continued blockade of its ports, a move that was designed to apply pressure on Iran to reach a longer term agreement that would provide, after decades of instability because of its worldwide sponsorship of terror, some level ground.

The reopening had been conditioned on a ceasefire between Hezbollah, in Lebanon, and Israel, and Trump has just announced that was beginning.

At Not the Bee came the comment, "We're back at a stalemate it would appear. … The deal didn't even last 24 hours and Iran has reversed course, reimposed sanctions, and closed the strait once more."

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Trump Signals Breakthrough with Iran

Trump Says Iran ‘Agreed to Everything’ to End Conflict

President Trump said Friday that Iran has “agreed to everything” needed to end the conflict, signaling what he described as a major breakthrough in talks.

The president said Tehran had accepted key demands, including giving up enriched uranium, as the U.S. and Iran prepare for more negotiations over the weekend.

President Trump said the end of the conflict with Iran could be coming soon.

He made the remarks while discussing the latest peace negotiations in the Middle East.

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Personally, I don't trust anything Iran says...they are great at stringing the U.S. along.

Trump says close to a deal with Iran

Trump says Iran has agreed to no nuclear weapons, negotiations may resume this weekend

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Thursday that Iran has agreed not to have a nuclear weapon, saying that Washington is "very close" to making a deal with Tehran, and that the next round of peace talks between the two countries may take place this weekend.

During a press availability at the White House, Trump also said that he is not sure whether a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which is set to expire next week, needs to be extended, warning that if no deal is reached, "fighting will resume."

"Very important is that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, and they've agreed to that. Iran's agreed to that, and they've agreed to it very powerfully," he said.

"They've agreed to give us back the nuclear dust (which is) way underground because of the attack we made with the big two bombers," he added, referring to Iran's enriched uranium stockpile that can be used to produce a bomb.

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Hegseth answers news media questions

Pete Hegseth SNAPS at obnoxious reporter - Gives him much-needed lesson in RESPECT!

"Did you even hear what I said?!!"

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to put an ABC News reporter in his place after he asked a very pointed question about President Donald Trump negotiations with Iran, which Hegseth saw as a direct attack merely framed as a question.

“Of course this is ABC News! Did you even hear what I said?!”

Cuba negotiating

Cuba Is Negotiating Deal With US, Trump Says

‘I would think a deal would be made very easily with Cuba,’ Trump said.

Speaking at his Shield of the Americas gathering of Latin American leaders in Miami, Trump said Cuba is “at the end of the line” because Venezuela cut off oil deliveries after the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

“As we achieve a historic transformation in Venezuela, we’re also looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba,” Trump said. “They have no money. They have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that’s been bad for a long time.”

The president said Cuba is currently negotiating with himself, Rubio, and “some others.” Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez responded to Trump at the time by saying on X that his nation was “ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood.”

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Iran Negotiations proceeding

President Donald Trump is considering deploying a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East

as negotiations with Iran resume, signaling that military force remains firmly on the table if diplomacy fails

In an interview on Tuesday, Trump told Axios that the potential deployment would be part of a broader effort to pressure Tehran as talks restart following last year's brief but intense conflict.

"Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time," Trump told Axios.

The U.S. and Iran resumed negotiations last Friday in Oman — their first talks since the 12-day war in June — even as the Trump administration continued a significant military buildup in the region. Trump said he expects a second round of talks to take place next week.

Despite the military posture, Trump expressed confidence that diplomacy could succeed, saying Iran "wants to make a deal very badly" and is approaching talks more seriously due to U.S. pressure.

"Last time they didn't believe I would do it," Trump said, referring to U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June. "They overplayed their hand." "This time the talks are very different," he added.

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Iran continues with its Nuclear program

Iran Rejects Enrichment Halt; US Delivers New Sanctions

Iran could pay a heavy price after refusing U.S. demands to halt uranium enrichment during nuclear talks Friday in Oman, as the Trump administration imposed additional sanctions on the Islamist regime.

The State Department announced it was sanctioning 15 Iranian entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels linked to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.

"These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities," the State Department said in a news release. "Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran.

Press Release from State Dept

"Death to America and Israel" shouts Iranian officials

Iran Lawmakers Chant ‘Death to America’ Live

What happened on the floor

During a session aired by state media, several Iranian lawmakers put on military-style uniforms and loudly chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” It was not subtle. Cameras caught the moment live, and the message was unmistakable: a show of defiance that was meant for both domestic and international audiences.

Why the timing matters
The protest came as U.S. officials say they are engaged in talks or back-channel contacts with Iran. That makes the spectacle awkward for Tehran. On one hand, hardliners burnish their anti-West credentials.

On the other hand, those same leaders may be negotiating to ease pressure. The result is political theater that looks tough but could be aimed at shoring up internal support.

Who was being signaled
Wearing military-style gear suggested the lawmakers wanted to show allegiance to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or other security forces.

That is a clue. The chant was not aimed at a random crowd. It was a message to rival factions inside Iran, the IRGC, and to foreign governments watching for signs of Iran’s next move.

Read more about the number 1 terrorist nation

Zelensky at Mar-A-Lago on Sunday

Trump, Zelenskyy to Meet Sunday at Mar-a-Lago

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly are expected to meet Sunday in Florida to discuss the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine's war against Russia.

Trump is expected to host Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago as both sides try to finalize terms of a U.S.-backed framework aimed at ending the nearly three-year conflict, Axios reported.

The planned sit-down is being viewed as a major signal that negotiations have advanced, especially after Trump previously suggested he would only meet Zelenskyy if a deal was close.

Russia is bleeding resources, Ukraine needs reliable guarantees, and Americans are demanding an end to the open-ended conflict.

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Brokering an end to Russia's war in Ukraine

Rubio and Witkoff Meeting With Ukraine's Negotiators in Florida

as Trump Pushes to Broker a Deal

Top Trump administration officials met with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida on Sunday, pushing to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine and setting the stage for key talks planned this week in Moscow with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, held talks with a Ukrainian delegation to further hash out the details of a proposed peace framework. The negotiations come at a sensitive moment for Ukraine as it continues to push back against Russian forces that invaded in 2022.

“The end goal, obviously, is not just the end of the war,” Rubio said at the start of the meeting. “But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.”

“This is not just about peace deals,” the top American diplomat said as the teams sat down at the Shell Bay Club, a golf and racket club developed by Witkoff in Hallandale Beach.

Read more at Newsmax

Shutdown Deal Reached - Vote 60/40

Schumer Shutdown ends

After more than a month of gridlock, the U.S. Senate has reached a bipartisan agreement to reopen the federal government.

The breakthrough came Sunday night after weeks of tense negotiations between Senate Democrats and Republicans.

The agreement will end one of the longest government shutdowns in modern history.

Senators Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen, and Maggie Hassan led the talks with several GOP lawmakers to finalize the compromise.

The new agreement funds several key departments for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Those include the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction, and congressional operations.

All other agencies will be funded through January 30 under a continuing resolution released Sunday.

As part of the compromise, Senate Majority Leader John Thune agreed to allow Democrats a December vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.

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Will China Negotiate?

Trump Shares His Backup Plan If China Fails to Make a Deal

President Trump says China has been reaching out “a lot” since he nearly tripled tariffs on Chinese imports. He suggested a deal could be done in three to four weeks. The comments came after he signed orders to deregulate the seafood industry.

Reporters pressed him on talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump wouldn’t confirm if they’d spoken. “I’ve never said whether or not [it’s] happened,” Trump said. “But I have a very good relationship with President Xi.”

He emphasized that communication from China has increased. “They have reached out a number of times,” Trump said. When asked how often, he replied, “A lot.”

Reports claim Trump has refused to make the first move. Sources say the U.S. wants China to initiate a call. So far, China hasn’t.

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