Washington DC, September 14: US President Donald Trump on Monday said that Iran wants to reach a deal with the United States "quickly and badly", while making it clear that the final decision on whether Washington will engage with Tehran will be his.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage - The concept of which we are open to." He ended the post by thanking people for their attention and signing it as President Donald J. Trump.
Trump had also said on Sunday that Iran was seeking negotiations and that he expected the conflict to end later this year. He stressed that any agreement would have to be one that the US considers favourable.
The US president's latest post suggests that Washington is not ruling out negotiations with Tehran, although Trump has made it clear that he will decide whether the US formally enters into talks.
Trump's latest statement comes as tensions remain high in the region. The US and Iran have been involved in a prolonged conflict, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a major point of tension. Talks involving Iran and Gulf countries on the waterway were also postponed on Monday.
The comments also come after earlier negotiations between the two countries produced a memorandum of understanding that included provisions on ending military operations, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme.
For now, Trump's message is that the US is open to the idea of a deal, but the decision to engage with Iran remains with him.
He shared another post and said, "I hope everyone realizes that price increases throughout America were caused by Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, not by “TRUMP.” Even Oil was higher under Biden than it is right now, and we prevented Iran from having a Nuclear Weapon! With the temporary exception of Oil, prices are coming down sharply, and Oil will drop like a rock as soon as the Military Conflict with Iran is over, and that will not be long. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
