Speaking at the close of the G7 summit in Biarritz, France on Monday, President Trump said he’s “open” to meeting with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.
This was in response to French President Emmanuel Macron stating he hopes to arrange a meeting with the US and Iranian leaders in the “coming weeks”. Trump qualified during his surprise remarks regarding a potential meeting, “If the circumstances were correct or right, I would certainly agree with that.” Trump cited “good feelings” about Iran and its desire to escape currently escalating tensions.
“In the meantime they have to be good players,” he added. Otherwise, he asserted, Iran will be met with “violent force.” Trump said the Iranians “have no choice”.
NEW: Pres. Trump says he would meet with Iranian Pres. Rouhani “if the circumstances were correct.”
“But in the meantime, they have to be good players.” https://t.co/kEqS3Qsjtu pic.twitter.com/nGlAlnAiXc
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 26, 2019
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It’s not the first time the White House has invited Iran to the table following a summer of escalating “tanker wars” and boiling point tensions in the Persian Gulf, and amid a US military build-up in the region.
It was recently revealed that last month Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had rebuffed a secret invitation to meet with President Trump in the oval office, which involved the mediation of Rand Paul. Just days following this, the US Treasury announced unprecedented sanctions against the Iranian top diplomat.
FM Zarif had made a surprise arrival in Biarritz for talks at the French foreign ministry’s invitation. However, there were no reported meetings or talks with American officials.
Reports suggest that Macron could currently be pressing Trump for a resumption of the Iran oil waiver program, which allowed up to eight countries such as China, India, Iraq and others to continue legal imports of Iranian crude without threat of US punishment. Both leaders sought to assure reporters that Macron had made Trump aware that Zarif would be present on the sidelines of the G7, and that they were strategizing together every step of the way.
When Trump was pressed at the G7 press conference over whether it was “realistic” to organize a meeting with Iran in only a matter of weeks, Trump responded “it does.”
“I think he’s going to want to meet. I think Iran wants to get this situation straightened out. Is that based on fact or based on gut? That’s based on gut,” Trump said. “But they want to get this situation straightened out, Jonathan. They’re really hurting badly.”
Macron, for his part, also sounded optimistic that talks will happen: “So, I hope that in the next few weeks based on our discussions, we will be able to achieve the meeting that happen I just mentioned between president Rouhani and President Trump, myself and the partners who have a role to play in nuclear negotiations will also be fully involved in these negotiations,” the French president said.
But it remains the case that Iran has vowed repeatedly that it would never bow to Washington pressures and threats, and likely Tehran will read Trump’s “talk with me or else…” style of rhetoric as precisely a continuation of the “maximum pressure” campaign that’s currently in the process of destroying Iran’s economy.
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