The US president’s overture to talk with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani was met by calls from Iran for the US to return to the 2015 nuclear deal. It follows escalating rhetoric and threats of war between the countries.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would meet with Iran’s leadership without preconditions, only to be contradicted by the White House and his top diplomat hours later.
“I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don’t know that they are ready yet. They are having a hard time right now,” Trump said during a news conference with Italy’s prime minister. “I’ll meet with anybody,” Trump said. “There’s nothing wrong with meeting.”
“I do believe they will probably end up wanting to meet. I’m ready to meet anytime they want to,” he said, adding that he would do so without preconditions.
“Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I’ll meet,” Trump said.
Read more: Iran’s currency drops 14 percent in one day on sanctions fears
Sanctions after withdrawl
The comments came as Washington prepares to impose what it describes as crushing sanctions on Tehran following Trump’s decision earlier this year to unilaterally withdrawal the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers. The deal was made in response to fears that Iran was developing an atomic bomb.
The first sanctions go back into effect in August, followed by ones on Iran’s energy sector in November.
Trump’s decision has created a growing gap between the United States and its European allies who are now trying to save the nuclear deal that the UN and non-proliferation experts say is robust and working.
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