Donald Trump (archive photo)
US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated the conditions surrounding the Iran peace deal, saying that sanctions will not be lifted or asset freezes lifted in advance until the peace deal is reached.In a recent interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump responded when asked if he would consider lifting the asset freeze later if not immediately: “Yes. If they act, if they do a good job, we’ll start talking. Yes.” Trump also said that he does not demand that Lebanon be part of a short-term agreement with Tehran.These statements came at a time when Trump had previously expected that the conflict would end “very quickly” after 100 days. Although the ceasefire entered into force on April 8, full negotiations have repeatedly stalled, and a permanent agreement remains elusive.Meanwhile, Trump said earlier on Friday that Iran had not yet agreed to a US-backed proposal aimed at ending the conflict, attributing the delay to the determination of the country’s leadership.“They’re strong, they’re proud, and there are things they never thought they’d do that they’re going to have to do. They don’t have a choice, and it takes time,” Trump said.The US President said that Iran had operated without facing sufficient consequences for decades, and said that this issue should have been addressed much earlier.He added, “You are talking about 47 years of getting away with everything they wanted. This should have been done a long time ago. Other presidents or other countries should have done it.”