Iran Adviser Mohsen Rezaei Says U.S.-Iran Talks Deadlocked, Urges Trump To Unfreeze Assets

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader told CNN that U.S.-Iran negotiations are "at a deadlock" and said "the ball is in Trump's court," urging the U.S. to unfreeze billions in Iranian assets.

“Toggle Play Trump hails jobs surge, says Iran talks ‘going well’ US President Donald Trump hailed stronger-than-expected jobs growth before pivoting to Iran, saying negotiations with Tehran “seem to be going quite well””

Al Jazeera

Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iran wants the U.S. to unseal billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, calling it "a sign of trust-building" and a "test that America must pass."

Al Jazeera

President Trump told reporters Friday that "the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well" as he arrived in Wisconsin for an event, while the U.S. said it is still in a ceasefire with Iran despite clashes.

The dispute over whether talks can move forward is tied to fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, with Tehran insisting those hostilities must end before a U.S.-Iran peace deal can be reached.

In parallel, Trump said if Iran kills U.S. troops, that would be "a good reason" to restart the war, as U.S.-Iran messages diverged over the status of their ceasefire.

As Israel and Hezbollah traded fire on the first day of a Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, CNN said Hezbollah rejected the pact and that the leader of the Iran-backed militant group has rejected the pact.

CNN reported that the House passed a resolution to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran, describing it as a significant rebuke to the president and his handling of the conflict, and said the House rejected a Democrat-led Lebanon war powers resolution on a 92-324 vote.

Anadolu Ajansı

The House resolution would have directed the president to remove US armed services from the country within seven days of the measure’s adoption, and CNN said the resolution was introduced by progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Trump, meanwhile, told reporters in the Oval Office that he would be open to meeting with Iran’s new supreme leader if there’s an agreement to end the war, and he said, "I’d be honored to meet him."

CNN also said the U.S. State Department reminded Americans throughout the Middle East "of the continued need for caution" given ongoing tensions in the region.

Fox News said Trump told reporters that only US and China can retrieve enriched uranium from Iran's 'obliterated' nuclear sites, and it also quoted Iran’s adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Mohsen Rezaei, warning the U.S. to leave Lebanon.

“What to know about the Iran war today: - An adviser to Iran's supreme leader told CNN that U”

CBS News

In the same U.S.-Iran negotiation context, Reuters-cited reporting in Fox News said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Lebanese TV station Al Mayadeen that "this war will end only when it ends in Lebanon as well," linking any end to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied.

The Guardian reported that Trump said Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu were "a great partner" and described U.S. efforts as effective against Iran, while also saying an Iran agreement peace negotiation "could happen over the weekend."

Energy and market expectations were a central domestic stake in CBS News, where National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said, "We expect it to be temporary," as he tied gas price relief to a deal and the Strait of Hormuz reopening.

CBS News also reported Trump said "a lot" of oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz, and he pointed to a price narrative in which oil was at $97 a barrel instead of $300 a barrel.