Trump seeking 'direct talks' with Iran regarding nuclear deal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
4 Apr 2025 16:45
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After threatening Iran with military action, Donald Trump has given Iran a deadline for the nuclear agreement and expressed interest in direct talks.

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while in flight on board Air Force One, en route to Miami, Thursday, April 3, 2025 (AP)

US President Donald Trump said he is seeking "direct talks" with Tehran over a nuclear agreement, following his prior threat that Iran would face military action if it pursued nuclear weapons.

The United States and its allies have accused Iran for years of working to build a nuclear weapon—allegations Tehran has repeatedly denied, insisting its nuclear activities are peaceful.

However, Trump allegedly gave Iran a two-month window to strike a nuclear deal, saying it is "better to have direct talks" because it "goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries," on board Air Force One.

During his first term, Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered by then-President Barack Obama and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran. Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, reimposing sanctions and warning of potential military action if efforts to reach a new agreement fail.

Referring to former encounters regarding the issue, Trump said the usage of intermediaries "is not necessary anymore," adding that "I think they're concerned, I think they feel vulnerable. I don't want them to feel that way. I think they want to meet."

On April 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed his country's willingness to engage in indirect negotiations with Trump’s administration regarding its nuclear program.

Araghchi called on Washington to abandon its approach of "threats, intimidation, and extortion," affirming that Tehran stands ready to respond decisively to any act of aggression.

Attack on nuclear program would compel Iran to reconsider nuclear doctrine

In a related context, the Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) for Political Affairs, Yadollah Javani, underscored that any attack on the country's nuclear program would compel Iran to reconsider its nuclear doctrine and the nature of this program.

Yadollah Javani pointed out that striking nuclear facilities "will not achieve the enemies’ goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities; rather, it will usher in a new phase."

He acknowledged that a US or Israeli attack may cause damage to Iran but underlined that his country's response "will inflict even greater losses on them."

Javani's remarks echoed those of Ali Larijani, senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, who warned that any US or Israeli attack on Iran under the pretext of its nuclear program would force Tehran to move toward producing nuclear weapons.