Washington sources reported that Donald Trump has said he would “certainly meet” Iranian president Hassan Rouhani without preconditions, a move that was later rejected by Trump’s own administration and one of Rouhani’s advisers. Meanwhile when speaking during a joint news conference with Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, and Trump said he would meet Iran “anytime they want to”. “He will meet with anybody and there’s nothing wrong with meeting.”
Moreover when asked whether he would set any preconditions, Trump was clear. He said “No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, he will meet any time they want”. “Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world, no preconditions. Moreover if they want to meet, he will meet.” Trump’s apparently spontaneous overture marked a significant shift in tone and follows escalating rhetoric in the wake of his dumping in May of the landmark Iran nuclear accord.
Furthermore the
administration is set next month to begin reimposing sanctions that had been
lifted under the 2015 deal and has been ratcheting up a pressure campaign on
the Islamic republic that many suspects is aimed at regime change. Hence after
the comment, secretary of state Mike Pompeo appeared to contradict Trump,
listing preconditions that had to be met first.
