International desk: US President Donald Trump says his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is working on a potential agreement with Iran and is “doing very well”, while indicating that a deal is not his preferred outcome.
“He’s working on the Iran deal and doing very well. I think the deal isn’t really something that I want to do, but they’re willing to offer us anything to stop,” Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas.
Trump said Iran would “never have a nuclear weapon” and praised Witkoff as “a great negotiator”.
He also said he expected the war to end soon.
“That war ends – it’s going to be very soon. It’s got to be very soon,” Trump said, describing Iran as “a failed nation” with “a little spunk left, but not much.”
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran have discussed Tehran’s nuclear programme in New York this month as part of indirect negotiations, NBC News reported, citing a US official, a Middle East official and an Iranian official.
According to the report, the Trump administration wants any agreement with Tehran to address what it considers outstanding critical issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
Washington is not interested in another interim memorandum focused solely on the Strait of Hormuz before proceeding to nuclear talks, the report said.
Iran has proposed a seven-day arrangement under which the US would begin lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian funds in exchange for reopening the strait, with nuclear discussions to take place separately at a later stage.
However, US President Donald Trump has rejected the proposal.
Source: Al Jazeera
