Iran War Day 116: Iran Disputes Trump’s Claims on Frozen Funds, Nuclear Inspections
Disagreements emerged Tuesday between Washington and Tehran over the outcomes so far of negotiations to end the Iran War, as the conflict entered its 116th day.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open “with no further Naval Blockade,” while adding that Iran has “fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections.” Trump said that “if they did not agree to this, there would be no further negotiations.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Esmaeil Baqaei told a press pool on Tuesday morning that Iran “has not had a meeting with the director general of the IAEA, nor do we have any plans for the agency to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities damaged by the U.S. and Zionist military aggression.” J.D. Vance on Monday had said that Iran agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back to its sites.
Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to release $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds. Trump said on Tuesday that any released Iranian funds would be used to buy U.S. agricultural products, a plan that, according to Vance, was conceived by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that Lebanon “should be Israel's playground,” adding that “we need to tell [Trump] that we cannot agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon.” The first article of the interim peace agreement signed last Wednesday conditions an end to the conflict on the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon” and “ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.”
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Lebanese municipalities have begun warning families of the dangerous presence of cluster bombs dropped by Israel. The deadly bombs can look like toys, often colored like soccer balls, and have been used by Israel in Lebanon for decades, often maiming and killing children.
A CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday revealed that 78 percent of Americans think that the U.S. should end the conflict now.
Oil prices have declined amid hopes of a peace settlement with Iran. The price of Brent Crude Oil was below $77 per barrel while AAA reported the national average price of gas at $3.93.
