US President Donald Trump has announced plans for renewed talks with Iran and stated that sanctions imposed on the country over time will be lifted at the appropriate time.
Trump made these comments to journalists at the start of a dinner at the White House with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Referring to Syria, Trump expressed hope that similar decisions would be made regarding Iran as well.
However, Iranian officials have said that Tehran has not yet received any request for talks from the United States. Notably, in December of last year, following intense protests across the country, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad collapsed.
After Assad fled to Russia, a new government took power in Syria. Following the rise of this new government, the United States withdrew sanctions against Syria.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump described US sanctions on Iran as “extremely painful.” He stated, “To give Iran a chance at rebuilding, I will be able to lift sanctions at the right time.”
He added, “Instead of chanting slogans like ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ as in the past, it would be good to see Iran engage in a peaceful rebuilding process.”
Trump also praised US Air Force pilots who participated in attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran can no longer remain the ‘troublemaker of the Middle East.’ Iran is a country full of potential. They have oil resources and great, intelligent, and hardworking people.”
