U.S. President Trump stated on the 29th that the United States is holding negotiations with Iran by phone, while emphasizing that Iran must clearly commit to completely abandoning nuclear weapons.
Speaking to the media in the Oval Office at the White House, Trump said that the U.S. and Iran have been in dialogue, and are now communicating by phone, instead of having to fly 18 hours for a meeting every time they want to look at a document as in the past.
He said that this method is very convenient: “I make a call, or have my people make it, and I can get an answer within 15 minutes,” but “I have always preferred face-to-face communication.”
Trump pointed out that some progress has been made in the negotiations, but the issue is whether Iran’s concessions can meet U.S. demands.
He said: “As things stand, unless they clearly commit to completely abandoning nuclear weapons, there is absolutely no possibility of reaching any agreement between both sides.”
Recently, Iran submitted a new negotiation proposal to the United States via Pakistan. According to media reports, the proposal suggests negotiations be carried out in three gradual phases: the first phase talks about ending the war, the second focuses on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the third involves Iran’s nuclear issue.
Some U.S. officials told the media that Trump is not satisfied with this proposal, because the first two phases do not address Iran's nuclear issue.