Trump Rejects '7-Day Plan' but Expects Additional Talks with Iran This Week
"Iran's Demands Are Excessive"... Communication Channels Remain Open
"U.S. and Iran Continue to Clash Over Nuclear Issue"
U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of additional talks with Iran. Although he rejected the so-called "7-Day Plan" proposed by Iran, his remarks are interpreted as keeping the lines of communication open for negotiations.
In an interview with Axios on the 27th (local time), President Trump said, "I expect there will be additional talks with Iran this week. Iran wants to reach an agreement," adding, "However, this is not the deal that I want, and it is something that could probably have been settled about a year ago. Iran is still being far too hardline."
The previous day, President Trump had rejected the "7-Day Plan" negotiation proposal initially put forward by Iran. The 7-Day Plan entailed the United States ending war operations across the Middle East as demanded by Iran, lifting maritime blockades and economic sanctions against Iran, and returning to negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an end-of-war agreement with Iran. In exchange, Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. President Trump drew a line, stating, "I like making deals, but this proposal cannot be accepted."
On the 22nd, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, held consultations with the Iranian delegation who were visiting the United States to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The negotiations at that time took the form of indirect talks, with mediation from countries such as Qatar. It is reported that Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, conveyed the 7-Day Plan to the mediating countries during these talks.
The Iranian side has stated that despite President Trump's rejection of the 7-Day Plan, they are still waiting for an official response from the U.S. Araghchi said in an interview with CNBC that "we heard President Trump intends to reject the proposal, but we are still waiting for an official reply through the mediator," stressing, "Even if this leads to a war of annihilation, we will firmly stand our ground. At the same time, we are prepared for diplomacy, and a reasonable proposal will be put on the table."
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There are projections that even if negotiations proceed, an early settlement will be difficult to achieve. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing statements from officials in the mediating countries involved, reported, "The U.S. peace negotiation team is pressuring Iran by making it clear that Iran must make concessions on the nuclear issue before the United States will resume cease-fire talks, but Iran is not prepared to discuss the nuclear issue." It added, "The United States is likely to continue applying pressure through sanctions and blockades until Iran makes concessions first, while Iran is demanding a complete ban on attacks by Israel—even if it makes concessions on the nuclear issue—which makes it difficult to quickly reach a compromise."
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