U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he believes Iran wants to reach an agreement with the United States regarding its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In an interview with Fox Business, Trump stated that it would be “foolish” for Iran not to do so.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he is considering sending another aircraft carrier to the Middle East, as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume negotiations aimed at avoiding a new confrontation.
Oman facilitated talks between Iran and the United States last week. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the discussions allowed Tehran to assess Washington’s seriousness and demonstrated sufficient alignment to continue diplomatic efforts.
The talks followed Trump’s deployment of a naval fleet to the region, which raised concerns about potential new military action.
Last month, Trump — who took part in an Israeli bombing campaign last year targeting Iranian nuclear sites — threatened military intervention during a government crackdown on protests across Iran that resulted in fatalities, though he ultimately refrained from doing so.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Trump said the United States would have to take “very tough measures” if no agreement is reached with Iran.
No date or location has yet been announced for the next round of U.S.-Iran talks.
Trump also told Channel 12 and Axios that he is considering sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
The U.S. president added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “also wants to reach a deal — but a good deal.”
Netanyahu said Tuesday that his talks with the U.S. president would focus on negotiations with Iran, as part of his efforts to push Washington toward a tougher stance on Tehran’s ballistic missile program.
The meeting scheduled for Wednesday will be the sixth between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House at the beginning of last year. Their last meeting took place in Jerusalem in October.
Officials told Reuters that the U.S. aircraft carriers George Washington, currently in Asia, and George W. Bush, stationed on the U.S. East Coast, are the closest available, though both are at least a week away from the Middle East. The U.S. Department of Defense could also deploy the aircraft carrier Ford from the Caribbean.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said, “After the talks, we felt there was understanding and agreement on continuing the diplomatic process.”
Baghaei added that Ali Larijani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had a pre-planned visit to Oman on Tuesday and would later travel to Qatar, which has also mediated several crises in the Middle East.
Reuters
