Donald Trump has shown interest in negotiating a new nuclear agreement with Iran, as he wrote to the nation’s leadership earlier this week. In a Fox Business Network interview, Trump highlighted the advantages of negotiations for Iran, saying, “I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran.” He went on to say that not reaching an agreement could lead to more action since the US cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons.
As of Friday, the letter had not been received by Iran, its mission to the United Nations reported. The Iranian foreign ministry remained silent on Trump’s remarks, as the weekend intervened. Iranian news agency Nour News, which is associated with the nation’s highest security organ, brushed off the letter as a “repetitive show” from Washington.
When asked whether he had written the letter directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump replied affirmatively, “Yes.” He described two options for handling Iran: “militarily or you make a deal,” prefacing that he preferred diplomacy, saying, “I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.”
This overture comes after Trump’s previous withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 and his recent reassertion of his “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. Western countries have expressed concerns that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a great threat to regional stability, including to Israel and Gulf Arab countries. But Iran still denies having any intention of building nuclear weapons.
Trump’s latest remarks could provoke questions among American allies, including Israel, which has been critical of Iran. Relations between the two nations have been heightened, with military attacks traded over the last year. The office of the Israeli prime minister did not have an immediate response to Trump’s letter.
In a related move, Russia has proposed acting as a mediator between the US and Iran, hinting at its possible role in the negotiating process.
