US President Donald Trump said he is less confident that Iran will agree to halt uranium enrichment as part of a nuclear deal with Washington, according to an interview published Wednesday.
"I don't know," Trump told Pod Force One on Monday when asked if he believed he could persuade Iran to agree to shut down its nuclear program. "I actually thought so, and now I'm becoming less and less confident."
His remarks came ahead of the planned sixth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, expected next Sunday (in Amman). US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Tuesday that she had no information regarding the date and location of the resumption of the sixth round.
Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasserzadeh said on Wednesday, days before the scheduled sixth round of Iran-US nuclear talks, that Iran will strike US bases in the region if the nuclear negotiations fail and a conflict with the United States erupts.
Mutual threats between Washington and Tehran also escalated, with Iranian Defense Minister Nasser Zadeh stating during a press conference: "Some officials on the other side are threatening conflict if negotiations fail. If a conflict is imposed on us... all American bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in the host countries."
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if it does not reach a new nuclear agreement.
Trump said the negotiations would take place on Thursday, while Tehran said they would take place on Sunday in Oman.
Iran is expected to present a counterproposal to a previous US offer for a nuclear deal that it rejected, with Trump responding on Tuesday that Iran had become "more aggressive" in the nuclear talks.
Nasserzadeh added that Tehran recently tested a missile with a two-ton warhead and would not accept any restrictions. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in February that Iran must continue to develop its military power, including its missiles.
Trump is seeking to conclude a new nuclear agreement to place restrictions on Iranian nuclear activities, and has threatened Tehran with bombing if an agreement is not reached.
He told reporters at the White House on Monday that he discussed the Iran issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the talks with the Iranians were "difficult." Israel insists that any agreement include a complete halt to Iranian uranium enrichment.
US President Donald Trump said he is less confident that Iran will agree to halt uranium enrichment as part of a nuclear deal with Washington, according to an interview published Wednesday.
Trump reiterated that the United States will not allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, whether a deal is reached or not. He added, "But it would be better to do it without a war, without people dying. It's much better. But I don't think I see the same level of enthusiasm for making a deal."
שתף את דעתך
Trump less confident of reaching an agreement with Iran amid escalating mutual threats