US President Donald Trump said the United States is in contact with Iran as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East enters its third week. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed that discussions were taking place but said Iran was not ready to agree to a deal to stop the war.
“Yes, we’re talking to them,” Trump said when asked whether diplomatic efforts were underway to end the conflict. However, he added that Tehran still appeared hesitant about reaching a final agreement.
“But I don’t think they’re ready, but they are getting pretty close,” he told reporters.
Trump also expressed uncertainty about making a deal, saying it was difficult to know who to negotiate with. He said many of Iran’s leaders had been killed during the early stages of the conflict.
According to reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior officials were killed on the first day of US-Israeli attacks on Feb 28. Despite this, Trump insisted that Iran still wanted an agreement to end the war.
“They want to make a deal badly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran strongly rejected Trump’s claims about ongoing talks.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States.
Speaking during an interview with the CBS News programme “Face The Nation,” Araghchi dismissed the idea of new diplomatic discussions.
“We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people,” he said.
He also criticized Washington, saying Iran had already been in talks with the United States when the attacks began.
“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us,” Araghchi said.
“There is no good experience talking with Americans,” he added.
The conflict has now entered its third week and continues to affect security across the Middle East. Analysts say the war has also shaken global markets and raised fears of wider regional instability.
