Trump Says 'They do want to make a deal': Tehran Rejects Negotiations Under U.S. Threats
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Summary: President Donald Trump says Iran is ready to talk to avoid U.S. military action, but Tehran says talks must be based on mutual respect and can't happen under pressure or threats.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was open to talks about a deal that would stop the U.S. from taking military action. This could be a chance for diplomacy to move forward as tensions between Washington and Tehran rise.
Trump told reporters at the White House, "They do want to make a deal." He also said that he had given Iran a deadline to start negotiations, but he didn't say when that deadline would be. He said he hoped the talks would lead to an agreement, but he also said that if they didn't, more action might be needed. "We hope to reach an agreement. Trump said, "If we don't make a deal, we'll see what happens." He was talking about the recent deployment of a U.S. naval carrier group near Iran.
Iran, on the other hand, was careful in its response, saying that negotiations can't happen under pressure. Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, said that Tehran was "ready to begin negotiations if they take place on an equal footing, based on mutual interests and mutual respect." However, he firmly ruled out any discussion of Iran's defense capabilities. "I want to make it very clear that Iran's missile and defensive capabilities will never be up for negotiation," he said.
Araghchi also said that there are no plans for meetings with U.S. officials to start formal talks again, which shows how far apart the two sides are. Iranian leaders have said many times that diplomacy can't work if military threats are still on the table.
Trump has always said that the U.S. might use military force against Iran if it doesn't agree to U.S. demands, which include limits on its nuclear program and missile development. Iran has said that it would respond strongly to any U.S. attack.
As tensions rise, regional players have stepped in to help end the standoff. Turkey has offered to help Washington and Tehran talk to each other and avoid making things worse.
Both countries have shown some willingness to talk, but their very different situations make it unlikely that they will be able to reach a breakthrough agreement in the near future.
