HUNKER DOWN

Trump Calls Secret Meeting as His War Crisis Spirals

Talks to try to end the Middle East conflict have flatlined over the past few days.

Donald Trump is set to hold a national security meeting to discuss the situation regarding negotiations to end the Iran war, according to reports.

The president will take part in a Situation Room meeting on Monday with leading members of his foreign and security team to discuss the ongoing stalemate surrounding the Middle East conflict, according to Axios and ABC News.

The meeting comes after Tehran reportedly provided a new proposal to the U.S. that would allow the vital Strait of Hormuz to reopen and bring the deeply unpopular war to an end, with discussions surrounding Iran’s nuclear capabilities to be held at a later date.

Trump canceled a planned meeting between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Pakistan over the weekend after believing the trip would be a waste of time amid the diplomatic stalemate.

“I see no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation. It’s too long. We can do it just as well by telephone,” Trump told Axios on Saturday. “The Iranians can call us if they want. We are not gonna travel just to sit there.”

Trump, who has frequently suggested the Iran war would end soon, cannot claim victory in the Middle East while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. He has implemented a naval blockade of Iranian ports as part of a pressure campaign to force Tehran to reopen the narrow passage, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

One official told ABC News that Trump’s team is growing optimistic that the U.S. naval blockade is working as planned, while also becoming skeptical that positive negotiations with Iran can be achieved.

An unnamed official told the outlet that the plans outlined by Iran over the weekend still fall “well short” of the administration’s red lines for accepting a deal. A key part of Iran’s proposal is that nuclear negotiations would only begin after the strait is reopened and the blockade lifted.

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Trump has insisted the war in Iran was justified to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The 79-year-old has also made multiple conflicting claims about negotiations, including saying that Iran had already “agreed to everything” and would work with the U.S. to remove its enriched uranium.

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“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press. As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for further comment.

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