The US is negotiating with Iran "right now," President Donald Trump has said."They are negotiating," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, without providing further details.His remarks came after a US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday after it approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier."They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn't work out, and we did (Operation) Midnight Hammer. I don't think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate."We are negotiating with them right now," he said.
Trump’s comments come as his special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem for talks on Iran, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
The meeting was held shortly after Witkoff arrived in Israel for talks with senior officials there on the Iranian issue and the implementation of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.
“Fair and equitable negotiations”
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that he had asked the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations”.
“I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists – one free from threats and unreasonable expectations – to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency,” he said on Tuesday.
“These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests,” Pezeshkian added.
Also on Tuesday Iran said that preparations are underway to hold talks with the US in the coming days, with consultations ongoing to finalise the venue.Speaking to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the talks are being planned based on President Pezeshkian’s directive.“Planning has been made to hold the talks in the next few days, and consultations are underway to determine the location of the talks, which will be announced as soon as they are finalized,” Baghaei said.He expressed gratitude to friendly countries that have worked with “concern and goodwill” to help pave the way for a diplomatic process.Baghaei said the timing and venue of the talks should not become a subject of media speculation, stressing that several regional countries have offered to host the negotiations.
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Source: TRT