US ‘still not satisfied’ after Tehran conveys another offer

The text of the proposal was handed to Islamabad on Thursday evening, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday. Pakistan officials also confirmed that they had shared the proposal with the US, but refused to divulge its contents. “At this moment, I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering,” Presi­dent Trump said late on Friday night. Asked why he was unsatisfied with the Iranian offer, he said: “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree.” He gave no details. Trump was asked what he would do if there was no deal but refused to say whether he would launch more strikes. “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever — or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” he said. He added that he would “prefer not” to launch a huge offensive. Trump said Iran had “made strides” in negotiations, but added that there was “tremendous discord” in the Islamic Republic’s leadership and warned: “I’m not sure if they ever get there.” During his remarks, the US president said he had “great respect” for Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. Meanwhile, Pakistani officials remained tight-lipped about the contents of the proposal, but indicated that established channels were used and that Pakistan’s role remained facilitative. This discretion by Pakistani officials reflected both the sensitivity of the process and the