U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that "Iran truly wants negotiations with the United States."
President Trump said this in an interview with the U.S. internet media Axios on the 26th (local time), stating that "the situation with Iran has been fluid since dispatching a large fleet to the Middle East."
President Trump mentioned the recent deployment of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, stating "There is a large fleet near Iran. It's larger than the time with Venezuela." He emphasized U.S. military power around Iran by referring to the situation when he raided Venezuela early this year and expelled President Nicolás Maduro.
According to the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" strike group entered the operational area of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, on this day. F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft, and additional air defense systems were also sent to the Middle East region.
President Trump said, "They (Iran) want negotiations. I know that," and "They have contacted us multiple times and want to have a conversation."
A White House senior official also stated in a briefing on this day, "The White House is open at any time regarding negotiations with Iran," and "If Iran wants to make contact and understands the conditions, we will engage in dialogue."
The official added that the U.S. negotiation conditions have been delivered to Iran multiple times over the past year.
Earlier, President Trump reviewed military strikes against key Iranian regime facilities in connection with the reported deaths of thousands of anti-government protesters in Iran due to bloody crackdowns by Iranian authorities earlier this month. However, instead of delaying the final decision, he moved military assets to the Middle East.
White House officials conveyed that while the protests have calmed to some extent, the U.S. military strike option remains valid.
Axios reported that President Trump has not yet made a final decision regarding the military option, and it is likely that he will receive a briefing on additional military options after further consultations this week.
