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President Donald Trump said Friday that he would be open to an agreement freezing Iran’s nuclear program for 20 years, but insisted that any deal would require ironclad assurances from Tehran before the United States would agree to end the war.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from his trip to China, Trump discussed the latest Iranian proposal and indicated he had serious objections to parts of it.

“Well, I looked at it, and if I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away,” the President replied, explaining that the first sentence of the Iranian proposal was “an unacceptable sentence because they fully agree, no nuclear, and if they have any nuclear of any form, I don’t read the rest of their letter.”

Asked whether a 20-year moratorium on Iran’s nuclear activity would satisfy him, Trump responded that the issue was not the length of time but whether Iran could be trusted to comply.

“No, 20 years is enough, but the level of guarantee from them is not enough. In other words, it’s got to be a real 20 years, not a fake 20.”

Trump also revealed that Iran was a major topic during his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Trump, Xi strongly opposed Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and discussed the strategic importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.

Trump said Xi “feels strongly they can’t have a nuclear weapon. He said that very strongly. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. And he wants them to open up the strait. But as he said, ‘they closed it, and then you closed them’. And it’s true. We control the strait. And they’ve done no business, literally they’ve done no business in the last two and a half weeks, which is approximately $500 million a day. So we’re doing very well on all fronts.”

The president said he remains hopeful that Iran will eventually agree to a deal. Trump added that Iranian officials told him that only the United States and China possess the capability to remove the country’s enriched uranium stockpiles, which he referred to as “nuclear dust.”

During an interview Thursday night with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump warned that his patience with Tehran is quickly running out.

“I’m not going to be much more patient. No, I’m not. They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy,” Trump clarified.

The interview aired shortly after Trump suggested on Truth Social that military operations against Iran may continue.

The remarks came in a broader post reflecting on his recent visit to China and comments made by Xi Jinping about the United States.

“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct. Our Country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!” wrote Trump.

“President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration, which includes all-time high stock markets and 401K’s, military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!),” he added.

Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, and he reiterated that position again Tuesday before departing for China.

Speaking to reporters at the time, Trump warned Tehran that it must accept American conditions for ending the conflict and resolving concerns surrounding its nuclear activities.

“They’ll either do the right thing, or we’ll finish the job,” Trump said, rejecting the idea that rising prices in the US pushed him to seek an end to the war.

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities in the United States have arrested and charged an Iraqi citizen accused of organizing an international terrorism campaign that allegedly targeted Jewish and American institutions across Europe and North America, according to a report Friday by CNN.

Prosecutors say the suspect, identified as Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, was connected to Iran-backed terrorist organizations and helped coordinate numerous planned attacks intended to pressure the West over the ongoing war involving Iran.

According to the federal criminal complaint, investigators believe al-Saadi was involved in planning at least 18 separate terror operations throughout Europe, in addition to alleged plots aimed at targets in the United States and Canada.

Court filings state that al-Saadi acted on behalf of organizations aligned with Iran and pursued antisemitic and anti-American attacks designed to destabilize international security.

The complaint alleges that al-Saadi “directed and urged others to attack US and Israeli interests,” in retaliation for the war and to “further the terrorist goals of Kataib Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and his associated,” according to the complaint.

US officials have not publicly disclosed the precise details surrounding the suspect’s capture. However, flight records reportedly show that a Department of Justice aircraft commonly used for sensitive extradition missions traveled to Turkey earlier this week before returning through Morocco and landing in the New York area late Thursday night.

Al-Saadi has now been charged with multiple serious federal offenses, including conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to support acts of terrorism, and conspiracy to bomb a public location.

Investigators said one of the alleged plots involved plans to bomb a major Jewish synagogue in New York City. According to prosecutors, al-Saadi attempted to hire an individual he believed to be affiliated with a Mexican drug cartel to carry out the attack. Authorities say the supposed cartel operative was actually an undercover federal agent.

The complaint alleges that al-Saadi agreed to transfer $10,000 to finance the synagogue bombing and insisted that the attack be filmed for propaganda purposes. Prosecutors say he instructed that the bombing take place on April 6 and later sent a message demanding answers after the explosion did not occur.

In addition to the alleged network of planned attacks in Europe, prosecutors claim al-Saadi was involved in organizing two separate terror operations inside Canada and was also working to establish additional terrorist cells capable of launching future attacks within the United States.

{Matzav.com}

The United States announced Friday that the ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Lebanon will remain in effect for another 45 days as negotiations between the two countries continue under American mediation.

The extension came after a third round of discussions hosted by the Trump administration in Washington, DC.

“On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Pigott said additional negotiations are already scheduled for the coming weeks, with separate diplomatic and military channels set to move forward.

“The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3. In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries,” he added.

American officials expressed hope that the talks could eventually lead to a broader and more stable agreement between the neighboring countries.

“We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border,” said Pigott.

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, also commented on the negotiations following the latest meetings in Washington.

“Concluding 2 days of negotiations with Lebanese and American officials, I’m looking forward to the next steps. The peace talks were frank and constructive, and are set to move forward on two tracks: security and political,” he wrote on social media.

Leiter cautioned that the process could face challenges, while emphasizing that Israeli security would remain the top priority.

“There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great. What will be paramount throughout negotiations is the security of our citizens and our soldiers,” added Leiter.

US officials said Thursday that the first day of discussions had been “productive and positive,” with talks focused on creating a permanent peace arrangement and securing the full disarmament of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror organization.

According to Reuters, Thursday’s negotiations lasted approximately eight hours and centered largely on developing a framework for a long-term security agreement. Talks resumed Friday morning.

Even as negotiations continued, Hezbollah reportedly violated the ceasefire Friday by firing mortar shells and launching explosive drones toward Israeli territory.

{Matzav.com}