US President Donald Trump says he could restart strikes on Iran if Tehran “misbehaves”, as Washington pulls troops from Germany in a major escalation of a diplomatic tiff.
US President Donald Trump says he could restart strikes on Iran if Tehran “misbehaves” as he awaits the details of an apparent deal.
Trump’s administration also ramped up diplomatic action against Germany at the end of the week, as quarrelling between Washington and the Merz government grows over the Iran war and tariff tensions.
The President said he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran, but was waiting for the exact wording.
When asked about Iran’s proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said: “They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.”
He added on his social media channel that he could not imagine the proposals would be acceptable and that Iran had not paid a big enough price for what it had done.
Asked if he would restart strikes on Iran, Trump said he did not want to, but that it was possible.
“I don’t want to say that. I mean, I can’t tell that to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now we’ll see. But it’s a possibility that could happen,” he said.
A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that an Iranian proposal so far rejected by Trump would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade of Iran.
Critically, however, it would leave talks on Iran’s nuclear program for later.
Trump has repeatedly stated Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal, while Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the US changes its approach.
Reuters and other news organisations reported over the past week that Tehran was proposing to reopen the strait before nuclear issues were resolved. The official confirmed that this new timeline had now been spelt out in a formal proposal conveyed to the United States through mediators.
Trump also said on Friday that “on a human basis,” he did not prefer the military course of action.
He also told congressional leaders he did not need their permission to extend the war beyond a deadline set by law for that day because the ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities.
While saying repeatedly he is in no hurry, Trump is under domestic pressure to break Iran’s hold on the strait, which has choked off 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supplies and pushed up US gasoline prices.
Trump’s Republican Party faces the risk of a voter backlash over higher prices when the country votes in midterm congressional elections in November.
NATO is seeking details after the Pentagon announced a drawdown of 5,000 troops from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday.
A rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions placed further strain on relations between the US and Europe.
Germany’s defence minister on Saturday (local time) said the move should spur further military spending amongst European nations.
Boris Pistorius said the partial withdrawal was expected and would affect a current American presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany.
“We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security,” Mr Pistorius said.
“Germany is on the right track” by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure, he added.
Trump called for a reduced military presence in Germany as far back as his first term and has repeatedly urged Europe to take responsibility for its defence.
However, he stepped up the threat earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has questioned Washington’s exit strategy in the Middle East.
NATO members have pledged to take on more responsibility for their own defence but with tight budgets and vast gaps in military capability, it will take years for the region to meet its security needs.
Germany wants to boost the number of active-duty soldiers from a current 185,000 to 260,000, though critics have called for more.
The US military presence in Germany, which began as an occupation force after World War Two, peaked during the 1960s when hundreds of thousands of American military personnel were stationed there to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The presence includes the giant Ramstein airbase and Landstuhl hospital, both of which have been used by the US to support its war in Iran, as well as previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pentagon decision means one full brigade will leave Germany and a long-range fires battalion that was due to be deployed later this year will be cancelled.
With Reuters.
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Trump skeptical of new Iran plan, as US pulls troops from Germany – Sky News Australia
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