Trump Announces U.S. to Meet With Iranian Officials

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that the United States will meet with Iranian officials next week to discuss a potential agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, though he downplayed the need for a formal deal.

“The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done. And, you know, I could get a statement that they're not going to go nuclear. We're probably going to ask for that ... but they're not going to be doing it anyway. They've had it,” Trump said. 

The president reiterated his long-standing position that Iran should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, but claimed the threat had already been neutralized.

“We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don’t know,” Trump said during remarks to reporters. “To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary. I mean, they had a war. They fought. Now they’re going back to their world. I don’t care if I have an agreement or not. We want no nuclear. But we destroyed the nuclear,” Trump said. “If we got a document, it wouldn’t be bad.”

Trump suggested the U.S. would seek the same assurances it had previously demanded in earlier negotiations, including commitments from Iran not to pursue nuclear development. Still, he maintained that the situation no longer warranted the same urgency.

“The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done. And, you know, I could get a statement that they’re not going to go nuclear,” he said. “But they’re not going to be doing it anyway. They’ve had it.”

The planned meeting would mark a significant shift in U.S.-Iran relations following recent military tensions in the Middle East. In addition to the tenuous ceasefire between Iran and Israel in place, this meeting could be a step in a positivie direction. Further details on the timing, location, or diplomatic channels involved in the meeting were not immediately released.