President Donald Trump said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News that Iran is becoming “much more aggressive” in ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States. “Iran is behaving very differently at the negotiating table than it did just a few days ago,” Trump told Fox. “Much more aggressive. It surprised me. It’s disappointing, but we’re expected to meet again tomorrow—we’ll see.”
While Trump indicated that a meeting with Iranian officials is scheduled for Thursday, Iranian sources said the next round of talks will not begin until Sunday. The meetings are reportedly set to take place in Oman, which is mediating between the two sides.
Senior U.S. officials told Fox News they believe Iran is intentionally dragging out negotiations while accelerating its nuclear program.
Trump’s comments follow a White House press briefing on Monday in which he said the administration is “trying to strike a deal to prevent destruction and death.” “We’re doing a lot on Iran right now. They’re tough negotiators. Very tough,” said Trump. “I had a great conversation with Bibi [Netanyahu]—a really good talk. We’re trying to make something happen with Iran. We want a deal to avoid destruction and death. Hopefully it works—but it might not.”
Main Obstacle: Uranium Enrichment
“We have a meeting with the Iranians on Thursday. Right now, the sticking point is their refusal to give up enrichment,” Trump continued. “They want to keep enriching uranium, and we can’t allow that. They’re just not there yet in terms of compromise. They laid out their position, and I told them it’s simply unacceptable.”
U.S. Preparing for Possibility of No Deal
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla also addressed the issue. Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kurilla said, “I have prepared several plans and options for the President and Secretary of Defense in the event that no deal is reached with Iran.”
Kurilla warned that an Israeli strike on Iran could endanger U.S. forces in the region. He also revealed that Iranian Revolutionary Guard personnel remain in Yemen, helping Houthi rebels assemble weapons shipped from Iran.
