US-Iran Tensions: Trump Says Iran Wants a Deal to Avoid War, Points to Massive US Armada Near Tehran

Iranian FM Araghchi Reaffirms Tehran Ready for Talks or War

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said that he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal to avoid military action and quickly added that the US “armada” near Iran was bigger than the one he dispatched to topple Venezuela’s leader Nicolola Maduro.

Trump made these remarks while addressing reporters in the Oval Office of the White House following hours after the development Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is prepared to resume talks with Washington, but they should be fair and not include Iran’s defence capabilities.

“We have a large armada, flotilla, you can call it whatever you want, heading to Iran right now. Even larger than what we had in Venezuela,” the President stated. “Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good; if we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens,” Trump added.

To a question if Iran had been given any deadline for a deal on its nuclear programme, ballistic missiles and other issues, Trump replied, “Only they know for sure.” He added that he had communicated that directly. “We’ll see how it all works out. They have to float someplace, so they might as well float near Iran,” Trump said, replying to a question about pulling back the US presence.

However, he cited what he said was Iran’s decision to halt executions of protesters as evidence to show Tehran was ready to comply. “I can say this, they do want to make a deal,” Trump said.

Trump declined to say whether, if Iran did not reach a deal, he planned a repeat of the dramatic operation in Venezuela, in which US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro. “I don’t want to talk about anything having to do with what I’m doing militarily,” he said.

It is worth-mentioning here that earlier, Iran’s chief diplomat said on Friday that Tehran is prepared for the resumption of talks with the United States, but they should be fair and not include Iran’s defence capabilities. “If negotiations are fair and equitable, Iran is ready to participate in such talks,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a press conference with his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul.

Araghchi said no talks between Tehran and Washington were currently arranged. Regional allies, including Turiye’s, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, have been engaging in diplomatic efforts to prevent a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

In response to US threats of military action, Araghchi said Tehran was ready for either negotiations or warfare. Araghchi, who described his talks with Hakan Fidan as “good and useful”, also said Tehran was ready to engage with regional countries to promote stability and peace.