Trump: Washington Holds the Upper Hand in Negotiating with Iran

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is "not in a hurry to talk to Iran," adding that Iran wants to negotiate with the United States, but Washington holds the upper hand in that.

 

Trump told reporters after arriving in Washington from Pittsburgh: "They want to talk. I am not in a hurry to talk because we have destroyed their sites," referring to the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites last month.

He continued: "No previous American president had the courage to bomb Iran like I did."

Trump reiterated his position that he essentially wants a diplomatic solution with Tehran, but he will not hesitate to support a new Israeli strike if Iran returns to developing nuclear weapons, relying on the notion that pressures and threats will force the Iranians to return to negotiations on American terms.

U.S.-Iran negotiations are at a standstill amid escalating political and security rhetoric, without any clear date or timeframe set for the resumption of direct or indirect nuclear talks.

The United States and the three European countries (France, Germany, and Britain) have set the end of August as a deadline to reach a new nuclear agreement with Iran, hinting at taking tougher measures if this is not achieved.

Meanwhile, Iran officially denied the existence of any specific date for new negotiations with Washington, announcing that it will not return to negotiations unless it is assured of the outcomes in advance and that it has not received any official invitation to resume dialogue.

Previous rounds, from April to June, saw limited progress mediated by Oman and European countries, but the recent war between Israel and Iran, along with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, have completely frozen the process.

Source: Agencies