US-Iran war latest: Donald Trump reveals deal strategy as Mike Pompeo casts doubt on peace agreement progress

Donald Trump has revealed more about his approach to dealing with Iran as Washington continues efforts to reach a peace agreement with Tehran.

In remarks shared by the White House on Tuesday, the US President accused Iranian officials of being “devious negotiators” and “very dishonest people”, claiming they had previously agreed to terms before publicly denying them.

“They’re very devious negotiators because they’ll agree to something, then they’ll tell the press that they never agreed to it. They’re very dishonest people, Mr Trump said.”

Mr Trump said his administration could continue applying economic pressure while allowing Iran’s deteriorating financial position to worsen.

“We can keep it...nice and easy and relaxed... look how bad they’re doing, their currency has no value, so just keep that going,” he said.

“Hit them really, really hard.

“Or the third is just economically but we’re already doing that anyway. We control their money. I am their banker.”

The comments come as negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain uncertain, with former US secretary of State Mike Pompeo warning that Iran’s position suggests a long-term agreement remains out of reach.

Speaking to Fox News, Mr Pompeo said Iran was “not remotely close” to accepting a lasting peace deal and argued Iran had an incentive to prolong negotiations ahead of the US midterm elections.

He claimed Iranian leaders were seeking to create political difficulties for Mr Trump and damage his standing before voters.

“They’re fully aware that there’s an election coming up, and they fully want to make President Trump lose that election,” Mr Pompeo said.

“They’ve had no president that’s taken down their military this way. No previous president, Republican or Democrat, has been prepared to do that.”

Meanwhile claims made by Pakistan contrast Mr Pompeo’s comments and add to the conflicting information on the progress of a peace deal.

The country said the United States and Iran were close to “some sort” of deal, and fellow mediator Qatar said talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz were at an advanced stage, despite reports of new attacks on shipping in regional waters.

Prospects for a deal had appeared to dim on Monday after the sides’ latest remarks and demands.

In an interview with Bloomberg News, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said “things are shaping up again in favour of a peace arrangement or a deal”.

“The signals in the last two three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Tuesday, Araqchi’s Telegram channel said on Tuesday, without providing further details.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman told a briefing earlier on Tuesday that separate discussions between Oman and Iran over management of the Strait of Hormuz were at an advanced stage.

The Iranian foreign ministry’s Public Relations Office did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

Pakistan and Qatar have been the main mediators in the conflict in which thousands have been killed - mainly in Iran and Lebanon - since US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

Iran has hit back by striking US assets and infrastructure in countries including Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Oil prices fell back on Tuesday after hitting a one-week high earlier in trading although it remains much higher than before the war.

Iranian officials said on Sunday they were nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between them, but said that in itself would not open the waterway unless the US met certain conditions.

Those conditions were largely in line with a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict that was reached between the US and Iran in June and included compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Iran and the US were not holding direct talks but that messages were being exchanged through intermediaries.

Despite tentative signs of progress in diplomacy, there were reports of new attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea, highlighting the widening threat to maritime trade.

Four crew members were killed in a suspected attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on a small cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday, Yemen’s transport ministry said.

The fatalities aboard the Egyptian-owned Tihamah, if confirmed, would be the first deaths in a Houthi strike on shipping since the Iran war began.

The Houthi militia have not claimed the attack.

A container ship was also hit by a missile off Pakistan, while sailing through the Gulf of Oman in a suspected US attack, sources said.

The Wall Street Journal reported a US official as saying that the ship had been hit by a US military helicopter after its crew ignored warnings from personnel working to enforce a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

with Reuters