Kamal Ghorui
A senior Gulf official has claimed that Iran is refusing to offer the concessions Donald Trump needs to “save face and leave” the Middle East conflict, even as the US president pushes for a deal to end weeks of fighting.According to Politico, the official, who is familiar with ongoing negotiations, said Trump “badly wants this to end” and would be willing to accept compromises. However, the official added that Tehran has so far resisted giving Washington the kind of symbolic win that would allow the US president to exit the conflict on his own terms. The remarks come despite Vice President JD Vance publicly describing Washington’s proposal as its “final offer”, with backchannel talks still continuing behind the scenes.Trump himself has attempted to downplay the war, describing it as a “little diversion” during a campaign-style event in Las Vegas. “We had to do that, because otherwise, bad things could happen,” he said, referring to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while also calling the country a “lovely place”. His comments come as polling suggests the conflict is proving politically costly at home. An Ipsos survey found that a majority of Americans believe the war is not worth its cost, while a Quinnipiac poll showed 65 per cent of voters blaming Trump for rising fuel prices linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Approval ratings on his handling of Iran remain low.On the ground, fragile diplomatic progress has been accompanied by continued volatility. A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has come into effect, with Trump urging Hezbollah to “act nicely and well” during the truce. Iran has welcomed the pause, linking it to its broader ceasefire understanding with the United States, mediated by Pakistan. Yet tensions remain high, with Israeli strikes killing civilians in southern Lebanon just hours before the truce began and Hezbollah signalling it could resume hostilities if attacks continue.Trump has insisted that Iran is close to agreeing to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile, though there has been no confirmation from Tehran. Key sticking points in negotiations continue to include Iran’s nuclear programme, control over the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages.
