PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
Trump reiterates his positive portrayal of Iran talks
· The Straits Times- US President Trump says talks with Iran appear to be progressing well despite no permanent peace deal yet.
- Trump claims a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is near and emphasises his preference for negotiation over conflict.
- Human rights experts warn Trump's threats to target civilian infrastructure may violate international law and risk war crimes.
LAS VEGAS/WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran seemed “to be working out quite well”, reiterating his positive portrayal of the negotiations over the Iran war without elaborating on the specifics of the discussions.
“I hear they are doing very well,” he said in an interview on the FOX5 1-ON-1 show with FOX5 Las Vegas journalist Tom Durian.
The interview was published on the evening of Aug 5.
Even as the Iran war entered its sixth month and the two sides have so far failed to reach a permanent end to the conflict, Trump has repeatedly attempted to portray the talks positively.
He has said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for energy supplies that Iran blocked after the war began, is imminent.
“I am not looking to kill people and totally obliterate everything, and that’s where we were headed. And they wanted to negotiate, and we’re doing that, and it seems to be working out quite well,” he said in the interview.
Human rights experts have condemned Trump’s threats to target civilian infrastructure.
Iran has warned that if the US carried out the threats, Tehran would target regional critical infrastructure.
The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.
Such attacks could amount to war crimes, international law experts in the US said in April, after Trump’s previous threats.
The war began on Feb 28 when the US and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states with US bases.
US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have since killed thousands and displaced millions. REUTERS