By Tom Howell Jr. (The Washington Times)
President Trump said Monday that Iran requested a meeting in Qatar to resume peace talks after a volley of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz threatened to unravel the ceasefire in recent days.
Mr. Trump, writing on social media, said negotiators would meet on Tuesday.
“Iran has requested a meeting,” Mr. Trump wrote, using all-caps for emphasis. “It will take place tomorrow in Doha.”
Iran had announced earlier on Monday that it had no plans to continue technical talks with the U.S. this week. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said discussions would only take place once the correct conditions were met and mediators could agree on a time and place.
The U.S. and Iran are working on a final-stage deal to constrain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and permanently end the Middle East conflict that began Feb. 28 with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that killed top Iranian leaders and decimated its military infrastructure.
Iran retaliated by closing oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point, and seems intent on keeping its grip on the waterway despite a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the U.S. that calls for unfettered traffic in the strait.
U.S. forces struck Iranian targets in recent days, citing Iranian attacks on an oil tanker trying to traverse the strait.
Tit-for-tat strikes threatened to undermine final-stage peace talks, but Mr. Trump said they are back on track with the meeting facilitated by Qatar.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on Fox News, said Special Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would lead the U.S. team in Doha.
“As far as we’re concerned, we’re holding up our end of the ceasefire. Violence will be met with violence,” she said. “The president obviously wants to see the peace process play out.”
The president is eager to stem the economic fallout from the conflict. Oil prices have receded to around $70 per barrel after trading above $100 at the height of the war.
The U.S. average gas price stood at $3.86 on Monday, down from about $4.40 a month ago but up 30% from the start of the war.
Decreases in gas prices often lag behind drops in oil prices, though Mr. Trump wants gas retailers to slash prices faster. He directed the Department of Justice to investigate top companies for price-gouging
“Gas prices coming down, fast! Report any abuses at retail level,” Mr. Trump wrote Monday.
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
