In brief
President Trump asserted that Iran is eager to negotiate a deal in the face of increasing military pressure from the United States. While he emphasized that time is running out to reach an agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program, Tehran has firmly stated that its missile defense systems will not be up for negotiation. Iran's Foreign Minister echoed the nation's openness to talks based on mutual respect, despite current tensions.
President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to make a deal rather than face US military action, despite Tehran's insistence that its missile and defense systems will 'never' be up for negotiation. 'I can say this, they do want to make a deal,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday when asked about a build-up of US military forces in the Gulf, without providing details. He had warned Tehran on Wednesday that time was 'running out' to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme after a large US naval fleet had gathered near the country.Iran's foreign minister said there were no talks planned with the US at present but that Tehran was open to negotiations based on 'mutual respect' and trust.Also on Friday, the Kremlin said the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, had met Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing 'Middle Eastern and international issues' among other matters.Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and has repeatedly denied accusations by the US and its allies that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.Trump's warning regarding a nuclear deal came after he had promised Washington would intervene to help those involved in a brutal crackdown on protests in the country earlier this month. He had said help was 'on the way', before saying he had been told the execution of demonstrators had stopped.On Thursday, he stated that Iran had to adhere to two conditions to avoid military action: 'Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters.' The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) confirmed the killing of over 6,300 people, including more than 5,900 protesters, since the unrest began at the end of December, with further investigations indicating that the final toll could exceed 25,000.
