US Says Making Progress With Iran, Tehran Ready To Negotiate

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2019) US President Donald Trump in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday said the United States is making progress with Iran, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that Tehran is ready to negotiate.

"We're not looking for regime change, We are not looking for that at all," Trump said of Iran. "They'd like to talk, and we'll see what happens. ... They can't have a nuclear weapon."

Pompeo said during the same meeting that Tehran was ready to negotiate on their missile program.

On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran is ready to hold negotiations with the United States if Washington lifts sanctions and gives up its bullying.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated since 2018 when Washington pulled out of the landmark 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement and started unveiling the "toughest ever" sanctions on the Islamic republic.

On the anniversary of Trump's pullout from the nuclear agreement, Iran announced it had partially discontinued its commitments under the accord. Iran also gave the European Union - a signatory of the agreement - 60 days to ensure Iran's interests were protected under the agreement.

Iran announced that, starting on July 7, it would begin enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 percent limit outlined in the nuclear agreement and stop the process of repurposing its nuclear reactor in Arak.

The United States was close to undertaking militarily action against Iran after a US drone was shot down by the Iranian military, but Trump has repeatedly said he is open for talks with the Iranian leadership without any preconditions.