Says He Wants Talks With Rouhani
Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Violent Force’
BIARRITZ, France (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that he wanted to see a strong Iran and that he was not seeking regime change in Tehran.
"I'm looking at a really good Iran, really strong, we’re not looking for regime change,” he told reporters after meeting with other leaders of the G7 group.
He also said he was not surprised that Paris had invited Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif for talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
"I knew he was coming in and I respected the fact that he was coming in. And we’re looking to make Iran rich again, let them be rich, let them do well, if they want," he said.
Earlier this month, Trump chastised President Emmanuel Macron for sending Iran "mixed signals" when he told the French president that no one was authorized to act in the role of mediator between the US and Iran.
It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to, but a report showed Macron had invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the G7 summit to meet Trump.
Trump said he would meet Iran’s president under the right circumstances to end a confrontation over the 2015 nuclear deal and that talks were underway to see how countries could open credit lines to keep Iran’s economy afloat.
But Trump ruled out lifting economic sanctions to compensate for losses suffered by Iran.
Trump told reporters it was realistic to envisage a meeting between him and Rouhani in coming weeks, describing Iran as a country of "tremendous potential”.
"I have a good feeling. I think he (Rouhani) is going to want to meet and get their situation straightened out. They are hurting badly,” Trump claimed.
Macron, host of the G7 summit, told the same news conference that Rouhani had allegedly told him he would be open to meeting Trump. Macron said he hoped a summit between the two men could happen in coming weeks. Trump and Rouhani head to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Rouhani is not Iran’s top decision-maker. That role is held by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who has warned against any negotiation with the United States.
Later at the news conference, Trump suggested Iran would meet "violent force” if it followed through on what it called its threats.
"They can’t do what they were saying they were going to do because if they do that, they will be met with really very violent force. So I think they are going to be good,” he said.
Trump said he was not open to giving Iran compensation for sanctions on its economy. However he said that the idea under discussion would be for numerous countries to give Iran a credit line to keep it going.
"No we are not paying, we don’t pay,” Trump said.
"But they may need some money to get them over a very rough patch and if they do need money, and it would be secured by oil, which to me is great security, and they have a lot of oil... so we are really talking about a letter of credit. It would be from numerous countries, numerous countries.”
Since ditching the deal last year, Trump has pursued a policy of "maximum pressure” to try to force Iran into broader talks to restrict Iran’s ballistic missile program and its role in eliminating terrorist groups in the Middle East.
"I'm looking at a really good Iran, really strong, we’re not looking for regime change,” he told reporters after meeting with other leaders of the G7 group.
He also said he was not surprised that Paris had invited Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif for talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
"I knew he was coming in and I respected the fact that he was coming in. And we’re looking to make Iran rich again, let them be rich, let them do well, if they want," he said.
Earlier this month, Trump chastised President Emmanuel Macron for sending Iran "mixed signals" when he told the French president that no one was authorized to act in the role of mediator between the US and Iran.
It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to, but a report showed Macron had invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the G7 summit to meet Trump.
Trump said he would meet Iran’s president under the right circumstances to end a confrontation over the 2015 nuclear deal and that talks were underway to see how countries could open credit lines to keep Iran’s economy afloat.
But Trump ruled out lifting economic sanctions to compensate for losses suffered by Iran.
Trump told reporters it was realistic to envisage a meeting between him and Rouhani in coming weeks, describing Iran as a country of "tremendous potential”.
"I have a good feeling. I think he (Rouhani) is going to want to meet and get their situation straightened out. They are hurting badly,” Trump claimed.
Macron, host of the G7 summit, told the same news conference that Rouhani had allegedly told him he would be open to meeting Trump. Macron said he hoped a summit between the two men could happen in coming weeks. Trump and Rouhani head to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Rouhani is not Iran’s top decision-maker. That role is held by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who has warned against any negotiation with the United States.
Later at the news conference, Trump suggested Iran would meet "violent force” if it followed through on what it called its threats.
"They can’t do what they were saying they were going to do because if they do that, they will be met with really very violent force. So I think they are going to be good,” he said.
Trump said he was not open to giving Iran compensation for sanctions on its economy. However he said that the idea under discussion would be for numerous countries to give Iran a credit line to keep it going.
"No we are not paying, we don’t pay,” Trump said.
"But they may need some money to get them over a very rough patch and if they do need money, and it would be secured by oil, which to me is great security, and they have a lot of oil... so we are really talking about a letter of credit. It would be from numerous countries, numerous countries.”
Since ditching the deal last year, Trump has pursued a policy of "maximum pressure” to try to force Iran into broader talks to restrict Iran’s ballistic missile program and its role in eliminating terrorist groups in the Middle East.