President Donald Trump is hoping to reopen negotiations with Iran about containing its nuclear program, even as the administration maintains a “maximum pressure” campaign against the country.
Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in an interview to air Sunday that he sent a letter to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressing his desire for a new deal.
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The president withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action brokered by former President Barack Obama in 2018, instead opting to install new sanctions meant to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Trump moved to reimpose those sanctions after entering office in January.
Bartiromo asked Trump in the interview if he had told Iran in the letter that it “better negotiate” or face consequences from the United States.
“I didn’t say ‘you better.’ I said I hope you’re going to negotiate because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran, and I think they want to get that letter,” the president responded. “The other alternative is we have to do something because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
The White House declined to comment on Trump’s remarks.
Earlier this week, reports indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin offered to serve as an intermediary on behalf of the U.S. in any nuclear talks with Iran.
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“President Trump made clear by renewing his ‘Maximum Pressure’ order just days into his second term, the United States will not tolerate Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon or their support of terror in the Middle East and around the world,” National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement at the time. “The Trump Administration will talk to our adversaries and allies alike, but he will always do so from a position of strength to defend our national security.”
Reports indicated earlier this week that the Trump administration is considering additional actions to cripple Iran’s energy sector, including detaining and inspecting Iranian oil tankers at sea.
