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National Security The Big Story
Iran’s ‘last chance’ in peace talks?
President Trump on Monday warned that it was Iran’s “last chance” to make a peace deal with the U.S. or face “decapitation” as he touted the most recent talks with Tehran.
© UPI Photo
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the discussions with Iran are “not very complex” and “going to go quickly” this time around, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz could open fully “literally by tomorrow,” in what he claimed was “phase one” of an agreement.
That would be followed by a “second phase” of talks on Iran’s denuclearization, which the president acknowledged would “take a little while.”
Trump is seeking negotiations with Tehran after calling off airstrikes against Iran in favor of diplomacy, the fifth time he’s done so since April. He said Sunday the U.S. had “an attack planned that would have been the biggest attack since World War II” before Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reached out to the U.S.
“Many, many countries called … and they all wanted to give this a last chance. This is a last chance,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday. “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document.”
Asked later what is different this time around, Trump replied, “I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.”
The president’s assurances come as Iran earlier on Monday pushed back on the claim it was negotiating on the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, saying it was only talking with Oman to set up a “temporary” route for vessels to pass safely through the vital shipping corridor.
Trump lashed out at that response, calling Iranian leadership “unbelievably duplicitous!” in a post to Truth Social.
The president’s frequent vacillation between threats to lay waste to Iran and a push for talks has cast doubt on the U.S. ability to strike a meaningful deal to end the conflict anytime soon.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
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On Our Radar
Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a virtual discussion on “Navigating the Strait of Hormuz Energy Crisis: Trends and Variety Across Global Policy Responses,” tomorrow at 9 a.m.
- The Federal Business Council will hold its Irregular Warfare Center Annual Symposium on “Threat Vectors & Critical Infrastructure,” at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
- Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center will have a talk on “What is Driving Ukraine’s Momentum in the War?” tomorrow at 10 a.m.
- Hudson Institute will discuss “Taiwan’s Ever-Changing Security Environment,” at 4 p.m. tomorrow.
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Opinions in The Hill
Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill:
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You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!
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