'Going quite well': Trump optimistic on Iran talks, says deal delayed because Tehran is 'proud' - Moneycontrol.com
Trump said the situation with Iran was "going quite well" and expressed confidence that ongoing negotiations would eventually produce a deal. Trump optimistic on Iran
Trump said the situation with Iran was "going quite well" and expressed confidence that ongoing negotiations would eventually produce a deal. Trump optimistic on Iran deal, says talks moving forward Despite 'Deadlock' Claims US President Donald Trump on Friday expressed confidence about the direction of ongoing talks with Iran, despite Iranian officials recently describing the negotiations as being at a standstill. Speaking to reporters after arriving in Wisconsin for an event, Trump said, "The situation with Iran seems to be going quite well." His remarks came as Washington and Tehran continue indirect diplomatic efforts focused on maintaining a ceasefire, ensuring maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and addressing concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. Trump suggested that the United States had largely achieved its primary objective of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“We had to extinguish a nuclear weapon," Trump said. “This was going to be a very capable country that was going to have a massive nuclear presence, and we weren’t going to let that happen." “We’ve largely finished that," he added. The US president reiterated his preference for a negotiated settlement but indicated that other options remained available if diplomacy fails. “One way or the other, it’s finished," Trump said. “You’ll see the finish with a piece of paper or finished a more difficult way." At a separate event in Wisconsin, Trump described the conflict as largely resolved, while maintaining that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained his administration's central goal. "One way or the other, it's finished," he said. "It's either finished with a piece of paper, or finished a more difficult way, although you could say a much easier way." Trump also downplayed the scale of the confrontation, despite months of military exchanges involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
“It’s really not much of a war," he said. “But it’s a military conflict. It’s practice." In an interview with NBC News, Trump argued that Iran's reluctance to finalise an agreement stemmed partly from its long-standing position of independence and previous dealings with what he described as weak US leadership. "They've had great independence. They've dealt with very weak and ineffective leadership on behalf of the United States, and other countries, frankly, … that allowed them to get away with murder," he said. "I think they can't believe they're in the situation where they've been virtually decapitated." However, Iranian officials continued to signal dissatisfaction with the pace of negotiations. Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN that talks with Washington remained stalled. "The ball is in Trump's court," Rezaei said, adding that Iran wants the United States to release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets as a confidence-building measure.
