President Trump’s son-in-law and key advisor, Jared Kushner, has acknowledged that the prospect of a peace agreement with Iran remains elusive, urging the president to exercise caution and patience despite the promising nature of current discussions.
Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, made it clear that the path to a deal with Iran is still uncertain. Expressing that President Trump plans to adopt a patient approach, he emphasized the importance of not rushing into an agreement.
In a conversation with Fox News aired on Monday, Kushner discussed the historical lack of trust that has characterized the relationship between the U.S. and Iran, acknowledging years of strained communication.
He noted, however, that the recent intense diplomatic activities show potential, saying, “They’re definitely engaging in a strong manner, which is positive, even though full understanding hasn’t been achieved yet.”
Kushner praised the ongoing dialogue with the Iranian government, stating that the current level of engagement is likely more substantial than ever before, marking a shift in United States-Iran relations.
‘There’s been a lot of good dialogue which I think is very, very helpful, right? You can’t make deals with each other if you don’t understand each other. You have to exchange views,’ he continued.
Kushner Says Trump Won’t Rush Iran Deal
‘President Trump is gonna be very patient. He doesn’t like to – he doesn’t wanna rush to a deal. He’ll make the right deal when the right deal is ready, but we are having very positive and active conversations.’
Kushner added that the president is currently focusing his attention on applying ‘economic pressure’ on the region, but admitted that Iran is ‘not showing any interest in doing something that makes sense for us.’
‘President Trump wants to make a fair deal that could be a win-win, but that has to be very basic,’ he said. ‘They have to wanna be a real country, which is no nuclear weapons and no funding terror in the region.’
Kushner’s comments come as the 60-day US-Iran ceasefire expired on Monday, raising fears of renewed fighting that could further destabilize the region and disrupt global oil supplies.
The president also made threats against Oman, a major US defense ally in the Middle East, as it negotiates with Iran over a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Negotiations saw a plan to place the narrow waterway, which sees one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, under joint control.
Trump has previously stated that Iran will not be allowed to control the waterway by charging US-backed oil tankers levies or taxes.
Trump Threatens Oman Over Iran Talks
The President issued a dire warning if Oman moves forward with its negotiations on Monday morning during a Fox News interview. He said: ‘If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the [expletive] out of them.’
The Strait of Hormuz has been shut since Iran closed it after US and Israeli airstrikes in late February. It remains a key sticking point in peace talks.
Oman has a history of serving as a friendly mediator between the White House and the Iranian regime.
The country helped broker the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal and has acted as a US defense partner in the Middle East since 1980.
Iran has effectively shut down the strait by deploying kamikaze drones, naval mines and speedboats against US-aligned tankers to gain leverage in negotiations with Trump.
The disruption has sent shockwaves through global oil markets, with crude climbing to $89 a barrel Monday morning and US gas prices reaching $4 a gallon.
Trump has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in an effort to choke off the regime’s trade and force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
Trump’s Iran Blockade Fails to Break Stalemate
Trump’s blockade has yet to produce a breakthrough, with the regime resisting US efforts for months to restart negotiations and accept Washington’s nuclear demands.
The US is demanding that Iran halt uranium enrichment for 20 years, abandon any pursuit of a nuclear weapon and surrender its entire stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran is demanding sanctions relief, access to billions in frozen assets, an end to the US blockade, war reparations and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The fragile ceasefire broke down in July after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the strait. The US responded by launching strikes against regime radar systems and missile sites along the Persian Gulf.
Iran, in turn, launched ballistic missiles and drones at US-allied Gulf states, including Kuwait, while targeting American military bases across the region.
Since the war began, 18 US service members have been killed and hundreds more wounded over the last six months.
The Daily Mail reached out to the White House for comment.