Politics

/

ArcaMax

Trump says US is having direct talks as Iran rejects them

Hadriana Lowenkron, Bloomberg News on

Published in Political News

President Donald Trump said the U.S. is holding direct talks with Iran and the next round will take place this Saturday “at almost the highest level,” provoking confusion after the leaders in Tehran rejected the idea and proposed negotiations with Oman as mediator.

“We have a very big meeting on Saturday, and we’re dealing with them directly,” Trump said in an Oval Office meeting Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “You know, a lot of people say, ‘Oh, maybe you’re going through surrogates, you’re not dealing directly, you’re dealing through other countries.’ No — we’re dealing with them directly.”

It wasn’t clear what discussions Trump was referring to. The U.S. hadn’t previously announced any negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Earlier in the day, officials in Iran said they had sent a “generous and wise” proposal for indirect talks with the U.S. about its nuclear program that could involve Oman as a mediator.

Trump had said earlier he wanted direct discussions with the Islamic Republic over a new nuclear deal to replace the one that he abandoned during his first term, and in March gave Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei two months to reach an agreement or face possible military action.

In the Oval Office meting, Trump warned the two sides were entering “dangerous territory.” He said “Iran is going to be in great danger” if the talks don’t succeed. “It’s not a complicated formula: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Iran has repeatedly denied it wants a nuclear weapon. In March, U.S. intelligence agencies said they continue to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and the country’s leaders haven’t authorized a nuclear weapons program suspended in 2003.

Earlier Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the country was waiting for a U.S. response to what he called a “responsible, generous, and wise offer.” He added that the Gulf-Arab Sultanate of Oman, which has facilitated dialogue between Tehran and Washington in the past, is a “main candidate” to mediate talks with the U.S. if they take place.

“The offer for direct negotiations isn’t acceptable to us for reasons repeatedly stated before, but we’re ready for indirect negotiations through Oman,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. “The ball is in the U.S. court.”

 

Netanyahu had said earlier this year that the U.S. and Israel stand “shoulder to shoulder” in countering the threat of Iran and said that with U.S. support, “we can and will finish the job.”

In the Oval Office meeting, he said the U.S. and Israel were united in their determination that Iran never get a nuclear weapon.

“If it can be done diplomatically in a full way, the way it was done in Libya, I think that would be a good thing,” Netanyahu said.

_____

(With assistance from Arsalan Shahla.)

____


©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Related Channels

ACLU

ACLU

By The ACLU
Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman

By Amy Goodman
Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams

By Armstrong Williams
Austin Bay

Austin Bay

By Austin Bay
Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

By Ben Shapiro
Betsy McCaughey

Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey
Bill Press

Bill Press

By Bill Press
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas

By Cal Thomas
Christine Flowers

Christine Flowers

By Christine Flowers
Clarence Page

Clarence Page

By Clarence Page
Danny Tyree

Danny Tyree

By Danny Tyree
David Harsanyi

David Harsanyi

By David Harsanyi
Debra Saunders

Debra Saunders

By Debra Saunders
Dennis Prager

Dennis Prager

By Dennis Prager
Dick Polman

Dick Polman

By Dick Polman
Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson

By Erick Erickson
Froma Harrop

Froma Harrop

By Froma Harrop
Jacob Sullum

Jacob Sullum

By Jacob Sullum
Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm

By Jamie Stiehm
Jeff Robbins

Jeff Robbins

By Jeff Robbins
Jessica Johnson

Jessica Johnson

By Jessica Johnson
Jim Hightower

Jim Hightower

By Jim Hightower
Joe Conason

Joe Conason

By Joe Conason
Joe Guzzardi

Joe Guzzardi

By Joe Guzzardi
John Micek

John Micek

By John Micek
John Stossel

John Stossel

By John Stossel
Josh Hammer

Josh Hammer

By Josh Hammer
Judge Andrew Napolitano

Judge Andrew Napolitano

By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Laura Hollis

Laura Hollis

By Laura Hollis
Marc Munroe Dion

Marc Munroe Dion

By Marc Munroe Dion
Michael Barone

Michael Barone

By Michael Barone
Michael Reagan

Michael Reagan

By Michael Reagan
Mona Charen

Mona Charen

By Mona Charen
Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

By Oliver North and David L. Goetsch
R. Emmett Tyrrell

R. Emmett Tyrrell

By R. Emmett Tyrrell
Rachel Marsden

Rachel Marsden

By Rachel Marsden
Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry

By Rich Lowry
Robert B. Reich

Robert B. Reich

By Robert B. Reich
Ruben Navarrett Jr

Ruben Navarrett Jr

By Ruben Navarrett Jr.
Ruth Marcus

Ruth Marcus

By Ruth Marcus
S.E. Cupp

S.E. Cupp

By S.E. Cupp
Salena Zito

Salena Zito

By Salena Zito
Star Parker

Star Parker

By Star Parker
Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore

By Stephen Moore
Susan Estrich

Susan Estrich

By Susan Estrich
Ted Rall

Ted Rall

By Ted Rall
Terence P. Jeffrey

Terence P. Jeffrey

By Terence P. Jeffrey
Tim Graham

Tim Graham

By Tim Graham
Tom Purcell

Tom Purcell

By Tom Purcell
Veronique de Rugy

Veronique de Rugy

By Veronique de Rugy
Victor Joecks

Victor Joecks

By Victor Joecks
Wayne Allyn Root

Wayne Allyn Root

By Wayne Allyn Root

Comics

A.F. Branco David Horsey Adam Zyglis Chris Britt Mike Luckovich Joel Pett