After the United States (US) attacked three Iranian nuclear sites, President Donald Trump said late Saturday (local time), “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace”. He warned, “If they do not, the future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.”
But what exactly did he mean by Iran “making peace”? The US president didn’t elaborate on this or explain what Iran must do to attain that peace. But it may mean three things:
1. ‘Unconditional surrender’ by Iran?
After abruptly abandoning a G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, Donald Trump said he is not seeking a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Iran but instead wants a “real end” to the conflict. “…or giving up entirely OK too,” he said.
Later in the day, Trump took an even stronger stance, posting two words on Truth Social in all caps: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”
2. A nuclear deal
Trump wants a deal over Iran’s nuclear programme. He doesn’t want Iran to build a nuclear weapons. “Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump has said multiple times.
Trump’s negotiating position before the Israeli attack (on June 13) was that Iran should stop uranium enrichment entirely. He had blamed Tehran for not accepting that proposal.
On Tuesday, he had said an end to the conflict meant Iran “giving up entirely” on uranium enrichment, according to the Guardian.
“In April, Trump had said he may “willingly” enter a war between Israel and Iran if there’s no deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Four days ago, Trump denied reaching out to Iran for “Peace Talks”. He rather said if Iran wants to have peace talks, “they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table – Would have saved a lot of lives!!!”
However, Iran has said no negotiations with the US are possible if Israel continues to strike Iran. The Islamic Republic has also accused the US of supporting Israeli strikes.
3. Diplomacy
Trump had announced a self-imposed two-week deadline on Thursday to decide whether or not to strike Iran because he believed there was a “substantial chance of negotiations” with Iran.
“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump had said.
Those comments were widely seen as opening a two-week window for negotiations to end the war between Israel and Iran.
Earlier, Trump contended that Iran and Israel should make a deal “just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States…”
US strikes Iran: ‘If peace does not come quickly…’
On Saturday evening (local time), the US struck Iran, targeting three key nuclear sites and officially entering US forces into another conflict in the Middle East.
“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror,” Trump said in an address to the nation after the US attacked Iran.
He said the “strikes were a spectacular military success”, adding that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
The US President also warned that: “There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.”
“…if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes,” he added.
It’s not clear what version of “peace” Trump now means this time: a nuclear deal; further negotiations with Tehran; or a full “unconditional surrender,” CNN rpeorted.