Washington, DC – US President Donald Trump said the Iranian government is seeking negotiations with the United States following the US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. He asserted that Tehran is now in a “completely different situation” after the attacks.
Trump made his remarks to reporters on Friday before leaving Washington for Florida, saying, “Iran, like many others, wants to negotiate with us… They want to make a deal with the United States.”
Trump noted that previous US administrations had tried for 22 years to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but they lacked “the courage.” He added, “We did it… and the Islamic Republic is now in a completely different position.”
Trump explained that removing Iran from the “arena” led to increased international interest in the Abraham Accords. These agreements point to expanding regional alliances in the Middle East.
During a previous meeting with leaders of Central Asian countries, Trump revealed that Iran had approached the White House to inquire about the possibility of lifting US sanctions. He affirmed his willingness to listen to Tehran’s demands and indicated that lifting the sanctions was a possibility at a later stage.
He added that Iran is currently under very heavy sanctions that have made it difficult for it “to do whatever it wants”.
In contrast, officials in Tehran denied any intention of holding negotiations with Washington, emphasizing that the diplomatic track with the United States is not currently on the table.
Last month, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described negotiations with the United States as “useless and harmful” and banned any dialogue with Washington.
He said that the nuclear talks had reached a “complete dead end,” stressing that negotiations with the United States would not be in Iran’s interest.
Iranian Foreign Minister Bashar Araqchi stated on Sunday, November 9, in an interview with a state-run media outlet, that in the view of Iranian government officials, there is currently “no possibility” of negotiations with the United States.
Iran’s stance was attributed to the absence of a “positive or constructive approach” on the part of the United States.
Araghchi added, “Whenever they are ready to negotiate on an equal footing in order to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, negotiations can be possible and Iran can consider them. But the approach we are seeing from the Americans does not indicate that.”
Prior to the last war between Iran and Israel, the government of Masoud Pezeshkian held talks with the current Trump administration regarding the Iranian nuclear program. However, Tehran rejected the American demand to completely halt uranium enrichment.
