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What's happening on US-Iran ‘talks’? Trump makes big claim but Tehran denies | Explained
Trump mentioned about Washington’s key objectives, placing the focus firmly on Iran’s nuclear programme and regional stability.
Amid ongoing tensions in the West Asia, conflicting claims from Washington and Tehran have cast uncertainty over possible diplomatic efforts to end the war. US President Donald Trump on Monday said the two sides had held “productive” talks over the past two days, a claim firmly denied by Iran, which insisted that no such discussions had taken place.
Speaking in an interview with American channel Fox News, Trump said: “We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement... They went, I would say perfectly. I would say that if they carry through with that, it'll end that problem, that conflict."
Also read | Trump announces 5-day pause in attacks on energy sites after ‘talks’ with Iran
Key takeaways from Trump’s remarks
Here's what we can glean so far from what Trump said on Monday, March 23:
- Talks between the US and Iran have been ongoing for the past two days, according to Trump.
- He described the discussions as “very strong” with “major points of agreement”.
- The US has paused strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for up to five days.
- Trump believes Iran “wants to make a deal badly”.
- Iran, however, has denied that any talks are taking place.
What the US wants from Iran
Trump mentioned about Washington’s key objectives, placing the focus firmly on Iran’s nuclear programme and regional stability.
“We want to see no nuclear bomb, no nuclear weapon, not even close to it, low key on the missiles, we want to see peace in the Middle East. We want the nuclear dust... I think we're going to get that,” he told to the reporter.
Hint at high-level talks
The US President also suggested that discussions may be taking place at the highest level of Iran’s leadership, though he did not name anyone directly.
“We're dealing with the man who, I believe, is the most respected and the 'leader.' It's a little tough — we've wiped out everybody,” he said, when asked by a reporter if he was referring to the Supreme Leader.
A report by the Jerusalem Post added another layer to this claim, stating that Iranian parliament's speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is leading Iran’s side in the talks with the US. Citing a source, the report said Ghalibaf is discussing negotiations between Tehran and Washington as the two sides discuss a possible deal.
Also read | Iran denies US 'talks' claim, says Trump has backed down on Hormuz Strait threat
Iran rejects talks claim
Despite Trump’s assertions, Iran’s foreign ministry has dismissed the claim that any talks are currently underway.
Responding to denial reports from Iranian state media, Trump said he was “not sure what they are referring to” and reiterated that the Islamic Republic “wants to make a deal badly".
Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, who spoke with Trump, said Trump dismissed Iranian media reports denying talks.
“I asked him what his reaction is to Iranian state television, saying that there are no talks, and he said he's not sure what they are referring to because the most recent talks happened, in fact, last night with Steve Wycoff and Jared Kushner and their counterparts,” she said.
Trump also spoke on how the US would handle Iran’s enriched uranium if a deal were to be reached. “It's very easy. If we have a deal with them, we're going down and we'll take it ourselves,” he said.
