Trump baffled as Iran refuses to end war he started, Europe feels energy squeeze

President Donald Trump is pressing for peace talks with Iran more than three weeks into a US bombing campaign, but Tehran shows no public interest, per CNN and RNZ. The war has closed the Strait of Hormuz, hitting global oil supplies, while European governments increasingly dismiss Trump's threats, reports the Washington Post.

Bottom line — Europe faces worsening energy crisis as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and oil tankers run dry.

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• Trump told Congress that Iran ‘wants to make a deal’ but is ‘afraid to say it,’ according to CNN; meanwhile, thousands of additional US troops are deploying to the Middle East.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi denied negotiations are happening, though White House press secretary Leavitt claimed talks were productive, per CNN.
• Iran’s demands reportedly include a complete halt to US attacks, war reparations, and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz – a condition Trump cannot accept, says CNN.
• A US 15-point proposal includes banning Iran’s nuclear weapons, handing over enriched uranium, and reopening the strait, which was open when the war began.
• The Washington Post reports that ‘TACO – Trump Always Chickens Out’ is becoming a refrain in world capitals as allies ignore tariff threats and Iran holds firm.
• Aaron David Miller, former US negotiator, told CNN that the Iranians will demand a price Trump is not prepared to pay, and the war has become ‘a war of necessity.’
• Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute told CNN that Trump will have to give something to end the war, noting the US already lifted sanctions on Iranian oil at sea as a concession.

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