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Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump has had a lot to say about US negotiations with Iran this week. Here’s what’s actually going on.
What’s the latest? Right now, the US and Iran are reported to be talking indirectly, with Pakistan serving as an intermediary. Both sides have rolled out preliminary proposals — a 15-point plan from the US and five rival points from Iran — though they’re likely far from anything that will actually be agreed upon. Stocks were down Thursday as investors grew more pessimistic about a deal.
There have been some positive signs, however: On Thursday afternoon, Trump said he was extending a deadline for threatened strikes against Iranian power plants by an additional 10 days, until the evening of Monday, April 6.
What’s the context? This is the second time Trump has revised his timeline for negotiations. Over the weekend, he initially threatened to “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway controlled by Iran and crucial to the global energy supply, wasn’t reopened within 48 hours.
He subsequently extended that timeline for five days to create space for ongoing talks, which he described as “IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE.”
What’s the big picture? As my colleague Josh Keating reports, there are still some serious obstacles to a quick end to the war. For one, control of the strait gives Iran a way to punish the US for launching the war, and the Iranian regime may think more pain is needed to hammer the message home. Israel and other Trump allies in the Middle East also appear interested in the war continuing.
In the meantime, the US is sending more troops to the region, raising speculation about a possible ground invasion. And the 10-day pause on strikes only covers Iran’s power plants; other targets are still being struck. Without a deal over Iran’s nuclear program in place, Trump said Thursday, “we’ll just keep blowing them away.”
