Trump says ready to meet Iranian prez with no preconditions

Donald Trump said he would be willing to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with “no preconditions” as tensions between the two countries climb following the US president’s decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear deal.

“I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet,” Trump said on Monday during a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. “I don’t know if they’re ready. They’re having a hard time.”

The US leader cited his experience meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore last month as a sign of his willingness to help address concerns of war and peace.

Trump has said the summit has fostered his goal of denuclearising North Korea, though its unclear if Kim shares that commitment.

One possible opportunity would be during the annual UN General Assembly in September. Rouhani typically attends the meetings in New York.

Economically, Trump may have some leverage with Tehran, which has faced months of protests about corruption and slow economic growth. Earlier this month, the other participants in the nuclear deal met to look for ways to ensure Iran still gets the benefits it’s seeking from the accord despite the US threats. But world powers were unable to offer concrete proposals, and diplomats have warned there may be little they can do.

Behind his tougher rhetoric, according to administration officials and analysts, is Trump’s desire to goad Iran back to the negotiating table to hammer out a new, more comprehensive deal to replace the nuclear accord the US withdrew from in May.

Politically, however, many analysts say it would be very hard for Iran’s political leaders to meet with Trump, given his opposition to the nuclear accord they spent years negotiating, his travel ban that effects many Iranians interested in studying or working in the US and his rhetoric against the government.

WASHINGTON: