Will Iran reach an agreement with the US? Trump: I can tell they want to make a deal

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was in contact with the Iranian authorities and said they wanted to “conclude a deal.” He declined to say whether he had set a cut-off date for reaching an agreement or using force.

“I can say this much: they want to make a deal,” Trump said during a conversation with reporters in the Oval Office. When asked whether he had provided Iran with the date by which the authorities in Tehran must agree to an agreement on the nuclear program, the president replied that “only Iran knows that.” He also answered affirmatively when asked whether he was in direct contact with the Iranian regime.

Trump again expressed his belief that the “armada” of ships heading towards Iran is larger than the one blocking Venezuela. However, he refused to answer the question whether he intended to use US forces in a similar way.

– We'll see what comes of it. They have to swim somewhere, so they might as well swim near Iran, he said. However, he added that he appreciated Tehran's decision to cancel the planned executions of protesters.

Earlier on Friday, the US Ministry of Finance imposed sanctions on representatives of the Iranian regime's repressive apparatus, including the Minister of Interior.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi declared that his country is ready to resume talks with the US as long as they are “honest” and do not include issues related to defense capabilities. These words were said during a visit to Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate in the talks between Tehran and Washington.

On Thursday, Trump said Iran must meet two demands to avoid strikes: it should abandon its nuclear weapons program and stop killing protesters.

The Wall Street Journal received information on Thursday about the attack options developed jointly by the White House and the Pentagon. They included a “grand” plan that assumes large-scale bombing of Iranian regime facilities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Other possibilities include attacks on less important targets, which would provide space for an escalation of bombing if Iran does not agree to end its nuclear program, or cyberattacks on Iranian banks.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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