U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be “indirectly involved” in talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program, which are scheduled to begin Tuesday in Geneva, adding that he believes Tehran wants to reach an agreement.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I will be involved in those talks indirectly. They will be very important.”
Tensions have been escalating ahead of the negotiations, with the United States deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
U.S. officials said the military is preparing for the possibility of a prolonged military campaign if the talks fail.
When asked about the prospects of reaching a deal, Trump said Iran had previously pursued tough negotiations but learned the consequences of that hardline stance last summer when the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump suggested that Iran now has an incentive to negotiate, stating, “I don’t think they want to (face) the consequences of not making a deal.”
Before the United States joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities in June, nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran had stalled over U.S. demands that Iran halt uranium enrichment on its own soil—an activity Washington views as a potential pathway to Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.
On Monday, Iran’s civil defense organization conducted a drill to repel a chemical weapons attack in the Pars Special Energy Economic Zone, aiming to boost readiness for potential incidents involving chemical materials in southern Iran.
— Reuters
