The White House said on Thursday that diplomacy is President Donald Trump’s first choice for dealing with Iran and he will wait to see whether a deal can be struck at high-stakes talks, but also warned that he has military options at his disposal.
Final preparations were under way for Friday’s meeting in Oman amid heightened tensions as the US builds up forces in the Middle East, which Trump has called a massive “armada,” and regional players seek to avert what many fear could escalate into a wider war.
The talks were set to go ahead even though the two sides have had differences over the agenda, and that has increased doubts about the prospects for a deal. Trump has threatened to carry out strikes on Iran if an agreement cannot be reached.
The US previously said it wanted the discussions to include Iran’s missile arsenal and other issues, while Tehran has insisted on focusing exclusively on its disputed nuclear programme. It was unclear whether that disagreement had been resolved.
“The president’s diplomacy is always his first option when it comes to dealing with countries all around the world, whether it’s our allies or our adversaries,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the coming talks.
She reiterated Trump’s position that “zero nuclear capability is something he’s been very explicit about” in his demands for Iran.
“He wants to see if a deal can be struck,” Leavitt said. “And while these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi departed for Oman on Thursday. His spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would engage “with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue.”
“We hope the American side will also participate in this process with responsibility, realism and seriousness,” Baghaei added.
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Araqchi is expected to meet in Muscat with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and adviser.
