Trump announces direct talks with Iran on nuclear weapons

Apr 8

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Lauren Keenan Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Keenan (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

President Trump announced that the U.S. would hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear weapons program on Saturday, April 12. However, it’s unclear who will be representing the U.S. Trump emphasized that a deal is preferable to conflict but warned that failure to reach an agreement would lead to serious consequences for Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the meeting, stating that it is “as much an opportunity as it is a test.”
The U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, and since then, Iran has expanded its nuclear program.

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While meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, April 7, President Donald Trump announced that he would be speaking directly with Iran about its nuclear weapons program Saturday, April 12.

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“We’re having direct talks with Iran. It’ll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen,” Trump said to reporters. “And I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with or, frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it. So, we’re going to see if we can avoid it.”

Trump reiterated that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If the talks are unsuccessful, he warned, “It’ll be a very bad day for Iran.”

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Iranian response to talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the news, writing on X: “Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks. It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court.”

Trump’s withdrawal from the 2018 nuclear deal

During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. The agreement, signed by former President Barack Obama in 2015, placed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

After withdrawing from the deal, Trump re-imposed sanctions targeting Iran’s economy. Since then, the United States has not held direct talks with Iran, and Iran has expanded its nuclear enrichment program.

Trump’s warning to Iran

In a recent interview with NBC News, Trump issued a stark warning: “If Iran doesn’t make a deal, there will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

At this time, it is unclear who will represent the United States in the upcoming talks with Iran.

Tags: Donald Trump, Iran, Israel, Nuclear weapons

WHILE MEETING WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AT THE WHITE HOUSE MONDAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE WILL BE SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH IRAN ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS THIS WEEKEND.

“WE’RE HAVING DIRECT TALKS WITH IRAN. IT’LL GO ON SATURDAY. WE HAVE A VERY BIG MEETING AND WE’LL SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN,” TRUMP SAID TO REPORTERS. “AND I THINK EVERYBODY AGREES THAT DOING A DEAL WOULD BE PREFERRABLE TO DOING THE OBVIOUS. AND THE OBVIOUS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO BE INVOLVED WITH OR FRANKLY, THAT ISRAEL WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH IF THEY CAN AVOID IT. SO, WE’RE GOING TO SEE IF WE CAN AVOID IT.”

TRUMP SAID IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON AND IF THE TALKS AREN’T SUCCESSFUL, QUOTE “IT’LL BE A VERY BAD DAY OR FOR IRAN.”

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (ABBAS ARAGHCHI) RESPONDED, WRITING ON X: “IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES WILL MEET IN OMAN ON SATURDAY FOR INDIRECT HIGH-LEVEL TALKS. IT IS AS MUCH AN OPPORTUNITY AS IT IS A TEST. THE BALL IS IN AMERICA’S COURT.”

DURING TRUMP’S FIRST TERM IN OFFICE, HE WITHDREW THE UNITED STATES FROM THE JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (JCPOA) – ALSO KNOWN AS THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL – WHICH WAS SIGNED BY FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IN 2015 — AND PLACED RESTRICTIONS ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM IN EXCHANGE FOR SANCTIONS RELIEF.

TRUMP THEN RE-IMPOSED SANCTIONS THAT TARGETED IRAN’S ECONOMY.

THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT HELD DIRECT TALKS WITH IRAN SINCE TRUMP WITHDREW FROM THE NUCLEAR DEAL.

SINCE THAT TIME, IRAN HAS EXPANDED ITS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAM.

TRUMP TOLD NBC NEWS LAST WEEKEND THAT IF IRAN DOESN’T MAKE A DEAL, QUOTE “THERE WILL BE BOMBING AND IT WILL BE BOMBING THE LIKES OF WHICH THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.”

RIGHT NOW, IT’S UNCLEAR WHO WILL BE REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES IN THE TALKS WITH IRAN.