IRGC: Trump has to choose between ‘impossible’ war or ‘bad deal’
The ball is in the United States’ court, deputy FM says
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Sunday said the United States faced a choice between an "impossible" military operation or a "bad deal" with Tehran, after President Donald Trump said the US is reviewing Iran's latest peace proposal.
"Iran sets Pentagon a blockade deadline; China, Russia, Europe shift tone against Washington; Trump’s passive letter to Congress; acceptance of Iran’s negotiating terms; there is only one way to read this: Trump must choose between ‘an impossible military operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran,’” the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization made the announcement in an X post.
"The room for US decision-making has narrowed," the IRGC said.
Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far.
IRNA reported on Thursday that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told foreign diplomats in Tehran on Saturday that, "The ball is in the United States' court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach.”
Iran, he said, was "prepared for both paths."
Gharibabadi said that Iran is fully and resolutely prepared to repel any renewed act of aggression against the country, although it also believes in interest-based diplomacy to resolve existing issues.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has submitted its plan to Pakistan as the mediator with the aim of permanently ending the imposed war, and now the ball is in the US court to choose between a diplomatic solution or a continuation of the confrontational approach,” he said.
The diplomat said, however, that Iran has always approached talks with the US with a sense of distrust because of Washington's track record in previous rounds of negotiations.
Iran and the US held a first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11, days after Pakistan mediated a ceasefire to allow a halt to the 40-day US-Israeli aggression against the country.
The unprovoked US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior Iranian officials and commanders.
The Iranian armed forces unleashed 100 waves of successful retaliatory strikes against sensitive and strategic American and Israeli targets throughout the region.
They also blocked the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers affiliated with the enemies and those cooperating with them in an attempt to maintain security at the critical waterway.
On April 8, forty days into the war, an Islamabad-brokered temporary ceasefire went into effect but the first round of Tehran-Washington negotiations failed to reach an agreement.
Trump unilaterally extended the truce, but imposed an inhumane “naval blockade” against Iran.