Trump willing to meet Iran's Khamenei but 'will be leading' war pack if no deal
In an interview with Time Magazine, President Donald Trump says he believes a deal with Iran can be reached via negotiations while expressing readiness for war in the event that it doesn't.
President Donald Trump said he is optimistic that a deal can be reached with Iran on its nuclear program and is willing to meet with Iran’s president or supreme leader.
Interviewed by Time Magazine on the occasion of 100 days to taking office, the US president said "sure" when asked if he is open to meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian or Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Trump denied a New York Times report last week that he had stopped Israeli plans for attacking Iranian nuclear sites in May. "I didn’t stop them. But I didn't make it comfortable for them, because I think we can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can."
Asked about his concerns that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would drag him into military conflict with Iran, Trump emphatically said, "No," explaining, "He may go into a war. But we’re not getting dragged in," and adding that the United States "may go in very willingly if we can't get a deal. If we don't make a deal, I'll be leading the pack."
In the interview, Trump blamed President Joe Biden for bolstering Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. According to Trump, Iran was broke under his first term of office because of the sanctions he imposed. As such, Iran was forced to reduce its financial support of Hamas and of Hezbollah, weakening the two organizations. "When Biden came and he took off all the sanctions, he let China and everybody else buy all the oil. Iran developed $300 billion in cash over a four-year period. They started funding terror again, including Hamas." China's oil imports from Iran continue, however, to soar under Trump.
