Donald Trump has declared Iran has a “last chance” to reach a nuclear agreement, claiming talks “are going on right now.”
Speaking in the Oval Office, the US President said the talks were expected to lead the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and provide a pathway for Iran to address US concerns over its nuclear program.
“The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearisation,” Mr Trump said, adding that the process “will take a little time.”
“They are going on right now,” he told reporters when asked about the status of the negotiations, saying the discussions were taking place at the request of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, among others.
“This is a last chance for them to sign a good document,” Mr Trump said, referring to Iran.
But earlier on Monday, Iran insisted there were no talks underway with the Unites States, prompting Mr Trump to take to social media to accuse Tehran’s leadership of being “unbelievably duplicitous”.
Mr Trump’s criticism followed Iran’s insistence that Monday’s talks with Oman were focused only on establishing a temporary route for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with Oman,” Mr Trump said.
He maintained that “whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking about preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Mr Trump has repeatedly warned of escalating military action against Iran before pulling back from those threats since US and Israeli strikes began on February 28.
Asked how Americans should interpret his pattern of issuing stark warnings before stepping back, the US President said he was exercising restraint to avoid further loss of life in Iran.
“I want to give them every last chance before decapitation,” Trump said.
“Hopefully, they’ll come to their senses.”
