US President Donald Trump says he believes a deal can be reached with Iran over its nuclear program because Tehran is willing to negotiate and avoid escalation that could include a military option.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News late on February 10, Trump said Iranian officials were "concerned and scared" about the consequences if a deal was not reached, hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezizkian questioned Washington's sincerity in seeking talks with Tehran.
"Everybody thinks that Israel, with our help or approval, is going to come in and bomb them. I would rather that not happen," Trump said.
"You can't let Iran... have nuclear weapons, but there are two ways to stop them: with bombs or with a written agreement... I think Iran would like to make a deal and I would like to make a deal with them without bombing."
Trump said Tehran was weakened by "tremendous losses" in its air defenses, apparently referring to Israeli strikes in late October that analysts say dealt a "significant blow" to Iran's ability to produce long-range ballistic missiles.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week dismissed the possibility of nuclear talks with the United States, insisting that negotiations would not solve Iran's problems, days after Trump spoke of reaching a deal that would allow Iranians to "get on" with their lives.
On February 4, Trump signed an order renewing his policy of "maximum economic pressure" on Iran with the aim of harming its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for civilian purposes.
A landmark 2015 agreement with world powers limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement during his first term and reimposed sanctions in 2018, leading Tehran to accelerate uranium enrichment and limit international inspections of its nuclear facilities.
When he withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal, Trump said Tehran was not respecting the spirit of the agreement and was continuing its efforts to develop nuclear weapons. He also accused Iran of supporting extremist violence in the region, a charge Tehran denied.
Trump told Fox News that any new deal with Tehran must include the ability to monitor, inspect and verify Iran's nuclear activities and destroy nuclear material or simply ensure it is "no longer nuclear."
He did not provide further details on what the agreement would entail.
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