Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran have been meeting “directly and indirectly” and described Iran’s new leaders as “very reasonable,” as U.S. troops arrived in the region and Tehran warned it would not accept humiliation.
Trump comments amid preparations for possible talks
Trump made the remarks on Sunday after Pakistan, acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, said it was preparing to host “meaningful talks” in the coming days aimed at ending the month-long Iran war.
“I think we’ll make a deal with them, I’m pretty sure, but it’s possible we won’t,” Trump told reporters on Sunday evening as he traveled aboard Air Force One to Washington.
Trump said he thought the U.S. had already accomplished regime change in Tehran after strikes killed the country’s supreme leader and other top officials, and said twice that their replacements seemed “reasonable.”
Leadership change in Tehran and widening conflict
An initial Israeli strike on February 28 killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was replaced by his son Mojtaba.
The war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands, causing the biggest disruption ever to energy supplies and hitting the global economy.
Pakistan offers to host U.S.-Iran talks
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said talks between regional foreign ministers on Sunday covered ways to bring an early end to the war and potential U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
“Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he said. It was not clear whether the U.S. and Iran had agreed to attend.
Iran warns against pressure and potential ground action
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, accused the U.S. of sending messages about possible negotiations while at the same time planning a ground invasion. Tehran was ready to respond if U.S. soldiers were deployed, he said.
“As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation,” he said in a message to the nation.
What do you expect to be the biggest obstacle to any U.S.-Iran talks in the coming days?
