In a fresh diplomatic move, US President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran.
On Thursday, Trump penned a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging Tehran to consider talks.
“I hope you’re going to negotiate because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,” Trump stated during an interview with Fox Business Network, which aired on Friday. He emphasized the necessity of preventing Iran from acquiring another nuclear weapon and hinted at possible consequences if a deal is not reached.
This outreach follows Trump’s 2018 decision to withdraw the US from the previous nuclear agreement, which had imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Since the US exit, Iran has amassed enough highly enriched uranium for multiple nuclear weapons.
On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry revealed that Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had discussions with Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali regarding international efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program. Russian diplomats have advised Trump to limit negotiations with Iran strictly to nuclear issues.
Trump’s initiative underscores his continued focus on preventing nuclear proliferation and addressing global security challenges.