SAEDNEWS: Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic representative from the state of Maryland in the Senate, announced on Monday that Donald Trump is “lying” about holding negotiations with Iranian officials.
According to Saed News political desk, citing The Hill, Senator Chris Van Hollen said in an interview with Kasie Hunt on CNN’s program The Arena that: “We know he is lying when he says the Iranians are in talks with us and are willing to give Donald Trump whatever he wants. Yes, that is a lie.”
Earlier on Monday, Trump had announced that U.S. attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure would be halted for five days. According to him, the decision came after “very good” and “constructive” discussions aimed at ending the conflict with Iran.
The president also claimed that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held talks with Iranian counterparts on Sunday. However, Trump declined to reveal the identity of the other party, saying he did not want to put their lives at risk. Speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, he added: “We are dealing with a man who I believe is a highly respected individual and a leader.”
Following the announcement of the five-day pause, oil prices fell and stock markets rose. However, Van Hollen warned that fuel prices would increase again unless Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu bring the war to an end.
The Democratic senator described Trump’s threat to target Iran’s power grid as a potential “war crime,” expressing hope that he would reverse course after the five-day deadline. He stated: “There are very limited circumstances in which a country can target infrastructure for military purposes, but when a president says, ‘If you don’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz, we will blow up all your civilian infrastructure,’ that is clearly a violation of international law.”
Van Hollen added that the president should be held accountable in international or U.S. courts: “When individuals commit war crimes, we need systems in place to hold them accountable.”
When asked how Trump could be held accountable, Van Hollen replied: “After leaving office, he could still be subject to legal action, and there are, of course, international courts. Though I hope it does not come to that.”
