Trump says US is ‘talking’ to Iran, but Tehran not ready for deal to end war

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States is in discussions with Iran as the conflict enters its third week, but indicated that Tehran is not yet ready to agree to a deal to end the war. “Yes, we’re talking to them,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, without providing details on the nature of the discussions. “But I don’t think they’re ready. But they are getting pretty close.” Trump also expressed caution about finalizing a deal, citing uncertainty over Iranian leadership, much of which he said was eliminated during the US-Israeli attacks on February 28 that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of other officials. Nonetheless, he insisted that Iran “wants to make a deal badly.” Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Trump’s claim, telling CBS’s Face the Nation that the country has no interest in negotiating with the United States. “We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people,” Araghchi said. “We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us. There is no good experience talking with Americans.” The comments highlight continued tension and uncertainty in diplomatic efforts, with both sides signaling opposing positions on the possibility of negotiations.

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