00:00Now we begin this morning with what the U.S. President is describing as productive conversations
00:05with Iran about a complete and total resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.
00:10Donald Trump, having postponed strikes on Iranian power assets,
00:14says there's been major points of agreement in the discussions.
00:17And while Tehran's parliament speaker has rejected the comments as fake news,
00:23markets right across the world have been quick to react with oil prices tumbling.
00:27For more, we're joined by our North America correspondent, Kamen Gok,
00:31and our Middle East correspondent, Catherine Diss.
00:34Let's go to Washington first.
00:36Good morning to you, Kamen.
00:38What exactly has Donald Trump had to say?
00:40Good morning.
00:41The president came up with a very optimistic assessment
00:44and even suggested that Iran could give up its nuclear weapons plans.
00:49He said that Iran has one more chance at peace, but this time they mean business.
00:55He said that talks led to 15 points of agreements,
00:59although didn't go into details about what those points were,
01:02apart from specifying the one where Iran may forego its nuclear ambitions.
01:07But he did say the deal was made that the United States could go into Iran
01:12and collect its enriched uranium, which he described as nuclear dust.
01:17He also said that he believed the Strait of Hormuz would open up very soon
01:22and it would be jointly controlled by Iran and the United States.
01:27Now, he said because talks were going so well,
01:29he would delay strikes on Iran's energy facilities by five days.
01:34And that's referencing an ultimatum he made a couple of days ago,
01:38saying that if Iran did not reopen the strait,
01:41that he would, quote, obliterate their power plants within 48 hours.
01:45Now, he wouldn't say who the United States was talking to,
01:48but he did say that it was not the new supreme leader.
01:51Take a listen.
01:52So they called. I didn't call. They called.
01:55They want to make a deal.
01:57And we are very willing to make a deal.
02:00It's got to be a good deal.
02:00And it's got to be no more wars, no more nuclear weapons.
02:04They're not going to have nuclear weapons anymore.
02:06They're agreeing to that.
02:08Any of that stuff is no deal.
02:10Now, Donald Trump also said if things don't go the way he wants,
02:13that the United States could, quote,
02:15continue bombing our little hearts out.
02:17And so often with Donald Trump, it's not just what he says,
02:20it's also how he says it,
02:22as he's intentionally signalling to the world.
02:24And he was very upbeat and optimistic today,
02:26and he's already seen some reward in that.
02:28Stock market is up. Oil prices are down.
02:31But let's not also forget that sometimes
02:33he's intentionally saying things to misguide
02:36or mislead the people that he wants to see what he's saying.
02:41In June last year, the White House came out and said
02:44they were giving Iran two weeks before they decided
02:47whether or not they would strike at their nuclear facilities
02:49because there was progress in negotiations.
02:52Little did we know,
02:53Donald Trump had already made up his mind
02:54and there were B-2 bombers already en route to Iran
02:57to blow up those facilities.
02:59What we do know is now that he's extended this timeline
03:03by five days, it gives him more time,
03:05it gives him more options,
03:06and it also gives him a possible off-ramp
03:09through diplomacy.
03:10But while he sounded optimistic
03:12about a possible deal to end the war,
03:14let's not forget the United States
03:16literally has Marines en route to the Middle East
03:19as we speak as well.
03:21Thank you, Kamin.
03:22Let's bring Catherine Diss in now.
03:23How has Iran responded to this latest development?
03:28Well, good morning, Catherine.
03:29Look, talk of a deal or talks at all
03:31were very quickly smacked down by Tehran.
03:35The Speaker of the Parliament there saying
03:38that the US had requested a meeting at the coming weekend,
03:42but that he was yet to respond.
03:45In a statement on X,
03:46he said that no discussions with America had taken place,
03:50that this was fake news intended to manipulate
03:53financial and oil markets
03:55and to escape the quagmire
03:58in which America and Israel are trapped.
04:01With both sides contradicting each other,
04:05it is difficult to see how or if background negotiations
04:09are taking place.
04:11But with Donald Trump flip-flopping on his messaging,
04:14it's done nothing to quell the fear
04:16of Iranians on the ground.
04:18We have been speaking to people there.
04:21We can't reveal their identity for their safety,
04:23but they are concerned about what Donald Trump will do next.
04:27Some who have spoken to us are saying
04:29that they're scared about the attacks on power plants,
04:32which would make their already difficult lives intolerable.
04:36They're worried that hitting power infrastructure
04:38will mean no gas, no water,
04:41no electricity to live their lives.
04:43They're concerned about how they'll feed their children
04:46and whether or not Donald Trump will leave Iran in ruins.
04:50Now, Donald Trump's back down here,
04:53even though it is only for five days,
04:54it is still being seen as a back down,
04:57is likely to be a point of contention
04:59with his counterpart in this war,
05:03that being Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
05:06Divisions over how this war should be waged
05:09and their strategies have already started to emerge.
05:13And this very public proclamation
05:17that America and Iran could well be making a deal
05:21is likely to anger the Israeli leader
05:24who wants to maintain pressure on Tehran,
05:27not de-escalate.
05:29A video has just been released from his office
05:32in which he says he's spoken to his friend,
05:36President Trump.
05:37He said that President Trump believes
05:39that there is a chance to leverage
05:40the great achievements that they have made
05:43with the US military
05:44and to realise the goals of their agreement,
05:48an agreement to protect their vital interests.
05:50At the same time, he said that Israel
05:52will continue to attack Iran
05:54and Hezbollah targets in Lebanon,
05:57saying that they are crushing
05:58its missile and nuclear program.
06:01And he says he ends it by saying
06:03that Israel will protect its vital interests
06:06in any situation,
06:07suggesting there that the divisions still remain.
06:21that the human being.
06:24So we have to.
06:25About 300 years ahead of a year,
06:25that there is a goal of helping us
06:25that that he is going to survive
06:25if we can do the same thing.
06:25And so we have to approach it.
06:27and need to implement this
06:28and we have to like
06:29than that we're going
06:29So we can't do it.
06:29And that we have to do it.
06:29And so we can do it.
06:29and so we have to...
06:30to think about it.
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