Iran wants to reopen talks with US, Trump responds
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that Iran's new leadership wants to engage in talks with him, and he intends to do so.
Read also: US and Israel hit Iran hard: Is this a war to destroy the regime?
"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long," the US leader said.
When asked whether the conversation would take place today or tomorrow, Trump said he could not confirm. He added that some of the Iranians involved in negotiations over the past weeks are already dead.
"Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big—that was a big hit. They should have done it sooner. They could have made a deal... They played too cute," the US president emphasized.
Trump was also asked whether he would continue bombing Iran to support a popular uprising if it occurs (the day before, he had called on the Iranian people to rise against the regime). He gave no direct answer, noting that he has to assess the situation when it happens.
Also, he expressed confidence that a successful uprising is inevitable, citing signs of triumph on the streets of Iran and gatherings of supporters among the Iranian diaspora in New York and Los Angeles.
In addition, Trump said he is satisfied with the current reaction of the Iranian people.
Middle East conflict
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched another joint strike on Iran, the second in the past year.
In a national address, Trump said Washington began a military campaign to eliminate threats from the Iranian regime, with the primary goal of protecting the American people and their allies.
On the same day, the US president gave multiple interviews explaining that the decision to strike followed failed nuclear agreement negotiations and Iran's actions over recent decades.
That night on March 1, it was confirmed that the joint US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other high-ranking officials. Tehran has since appointed an interim Supreme Leader.
Following Khamenei's death, Iran announced the start of an unprecedented military response, while Trump warned of an unprecedented strike if the escalation continues.
Fighting is ongoing, but as Republican Senator Tom Cotton noted, the United States has no plans for a ground operation in Iran, relying exclusively on extended air and naval strikes.
