The president was asked about the status of discussions between his administration and the Iranian regime during an Oval Office press conference with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
“We’ve got a problem with Iran, but I’ll solve that problem — that’s almost an easy one,” Trump quipped.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held “indirect” talks with Iranian counterparts in the Omani capital city of Muscat over the weekend, facilitated by mediators. The next meeting is reportedly scheduled for Saturday in Rome, Italy.
Trump expressed some frustration with the timeline of the meetings, speculating that the Iranian side might be intentionally dragging out negotiations.
“We had a meeting with them on Saturday. We have another meeting scheduled next Saturday. I said, ‘That’s a long time.’ You know, that’s a long time,” said Trump. “So I think they might be tapping us along.”
The White House called the talks in Muscat “very positive and constructive” and a “step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.”
The U.S. is seeking the total denuclearization of Iran and maintains that military action in cooperation with Israel is a viable route to its goal if diplomacy fails.
“Iran could be a great country as long as it doesn’t have nuclear weapons,” Trump said Monday, affirming that strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities were “of course” an option.
“I think we are very close to a basis for negotiations, and if we can conclude this basis next week, we’ll have gone a long way and will be able to start real discussions based on that,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said following the talks in Oman.
Araghchi will make a “pre-planned” visit to Moscow to “discuss the latest developments related to the Muscat talks,” according to ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
WITKOFF PEACE TALKS WITH IRAN WERE ‘POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE’: WHITE HOUSE
Russia is a valuable mentor in negotiating against the U.S. — as proved by President Vladimir Putin’s continued success in dodging the Trump administration’s demand to end the invasion of Ukraine.
Baqaei separately told state TV that “Oman will remain the mediator” of future discussions despite the change of venue.
