President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States will hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program. But he warned that Iran would be in “great danger” if the talks fail to stop it from pursuing nuclear weapons.
Iran, however, confirmed the talks would happen but said they would be conducted indirectly and through a third party.
Trump spoke to reporters after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. He said the talks would begin on Saturday and stressed that Iran must not be allowed to get nuclear weapons.
“We’re dealing with them directly and maybe a deal will be made,” Trump said. He added, “Doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious.”
When asked if he was ready to use military force if the talks break down, Trump said, “Iran is going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it.” He added, “If the talks aren’t successful, I think it’s going to be a very bad day for Iran.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on platform X, which is banned in Iran. He said the talks will be indirect. “Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks,” he wrote. “It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court.”
Trump had earlier sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing direct talks over Iran’s growing nuclear program. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected the request but said indirect talks could happen.
Trump has long pressured Iran to abandon its nuclear plans. He has often pointed out that Iran backs militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” Trump said in a March interview with NBC News. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
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During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. That deal had been signed by former President Barack Obama and limited Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for sanction relief.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he supports Trump’s new diplomatic effort. He stressed that both Israel and the US have the same goal – to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu said he would welcome a deal like the one made with Libya in 2003. At that time, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi gave up his secret nuclear program in exchange for better ties with the West. But Iran says its nuclear work is for peaceful use and has been reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“I think that would be a good thing,” Netanyahu said. “But whatever happens, we must ensure Iran does not get nuclear weapons.”
Trump said the upcoming talks will be “at almost the highest level” but did not name the negotiators or the location. Oman, a country that helped in earlier US-Iran talks, has not confirmed if it will host the meeting.
The announcement came during a sudden visit by Netanyahu to the White House. This was his second visit in just over two months. The two leaders also discussed Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods, the Israel-Hamas war, and tensions with Iran.
They talked about Israel’s ties with Turkey and the International Criminal Court as well. Trump recently imposed sanctions on the ICC for its investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes.
Iran’s Nuclear programme has been a point of contention between the US and its allies in already hostile relations. After Trump’s return to the White House, the diplomatic situation is expected to change, and Iran may have to bend to the US on its nuclear programme. The upcoming negotiation with the US will now decide the future of Iran in West Asia.
