Iranian Parliament speaker says ‘no alternative’ for US but to accept 14-point proposal

Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the US had no alternative but to “accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal.”

“The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it.”

Earlier, Ghalibaf said that the Iranian armed forces were “ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression.”

“We are prepared for all options; they will be surprised.”

Trump’s complaints on Iran war leaks prompt aggressive probe: Report

Trump’s complaints about media leaks on the Iran war have triggered an aggressive investigation by the Justice Department, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing sources.

Trump privately complained to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about media leaks following last month’s Iran war, prompting the Justice Department to aggressively pursue leak investigations.

Blanche pledged to seek subpoenas targeting reporters involved in sensitive national security stories, according to the report. In one meeting, Trump handed Blanche a stack of articles he viewed as threats to national security, marked with a sticky note reading “treason.”

Senior Justice Department and Pentagon officials have also discussed the investigations, the report said.

In particular, the report said, Trump has focused his ire on articles that provided details on how he arrived at his decision to launch the war, and what his advisers had told him as he deliberated.

“In all circumstances, the Department of Justice follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States,” a department spokeswoman said.

Trump’s recent push to pursue the leak investigations comes as the Justice Department had already stepped up investigations into sensitive reporting about the lead-up to the Iran war, the report said.

Peace deal hopes fade after Trump rejects ‘garbage’ Iran proposal 

Hopes for a peace deal on Iran faded on Tuesday after Donald Trump said ​a ceasefire with Iran was “on life support” as Tehran rejected a US proposal to end the conflict and stuck to a list of ‌demands the US president described as “garbage”

Iran has called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Tehran also emphasised its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, demanded compensation for war damage, and an end to the US naval blockade, among other conditions.

Trump said Iran’s response threatened the status of ​a ceasefire that began on April 7.

“I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. ​I didn’t even finish reading it,” Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to end the ceasefire, told reporters.

The US had ⁠proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.

Brent crude oil futures extended gains in early Asian trade on ​Tuesday, climbing above $104.50 a barrel, as the deadlock left the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. Before the war began on February 28, the narrow waterway carried ​one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and has since become a central pressure point in the conflict.

Disruption caused by the near-closure of the strait has forced oil producers to cut exports, and OPEC oil output dropped further in April to the lowest in more than two decades, a Reuters survey showed on Monday.

The United ​States on Monday imposed new sanctions on individuals and companies it said were helping Iran ship oil to China, part of efforts to cut off funding ​for Tehran’s military and nuclear programs, while also warning banks about attempts to evade existing curbs.

Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday, where Iran is set ‌to be ⁠among the topics discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trickle of shipping through Hormuz

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a trickle compared with before the war. Shipping data on Kpler and LSEG showed that three tankers laden with crude exited the waterway last week, with trackers switched off to avoid an Iranian attack.

A second Qatari LNG tanker was attempting to transit the strait, the data showed, days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran ​and Pakistan.

In the US, surveys show ​the war is unpopular with US voters ⁠who are paying more for fuel, less than six months before nationwide elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.

Two out of three Americans, including one in three Republicans and almost all Democrats, think Trump ​has not clearly explained why the country has gone to war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday.

Washington ​has also struggled ⁠to build international support, with NATO allies refusing to send ships to reopen the waterway without a full peace deal and an internationally mandated mission.

In separate statements on Monday, the State Department said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate calls with his Australian and British counterparts to discuss “ongoing efforts to restore freedom ⁠of navigation ​in the Strait of Hormuz.” It did not elaborate.

Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister of Turkey, ​which has been liaising closely with the US, Iran and mediator Pakistan since the start of the war, will hold talks in Qatar on Tuesday on the conflict and on ensuring ​navigational safety in the strait, a Turkish diplomatic source said.