Trump Says US ‘Talking’ With Iran but Says Tehran Not Yet Ready for Peace Deal

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington is in contact with Iran as the ongoing war in the Middle East moves into its third week, but he believes Tehran has not yet reached the point of agreeing to a deal to end the conflict.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump confirmed that communication channels exist but declined to explain their details.

“Yes, we’re talking to them,” he said when asked whether diplomacy was underway to halt the war that has shaken the region and rattled global markets.

“But I don’t think they’re ready. But they are getting pretty close,” Trump said.

Iranian officials earlier rejected claims that talks with the United States were happening.

Trump also said uncertainty about Iran’s leadership made negotiations complicated.

“I’m not sure I want to make a deal because first of all nobody even knows who you’re dealing with, because most of their leadership has been killed,” he said.

Among those reported killed in the opening day of the US-Israeli strikes on February 28 were Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials.

Still, Trump maintained that Iran is eager for a settlement, saying “they want to make a deal badly.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the possibility of negotiations with Washington.

“We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people,” Araghchi told CBS’s Face The Nation.

“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us,” he said, adding that “there is no good experience talking with Americans.”

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