The United States expects Iran to declare in writing that Tehran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons, US President Donald Trump said on Monday.
„The last thing on their minds is nuclear weapons. "Now they have to put it in writing," the US president said of the Iranian government while answering questions from reporters at the White House.
Hours ago, Trump announced that he had postponed the planned US strike on Iran on May 19 at the request of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who believe that an agreement with Tehran is possible that would ensure the republic's nuclear weapons are abandoned.
“The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, have asked me to postpone the planned strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran on May 19, as serious negotiations are underway and they believe, as excellent leaders and allies, that an agreement will be reached that is fully acceptable to the United States and all countries in the Middle East and beyond,“ the US president wrote on Truth Social. "It is important that this deal ensures that Iran does not have nuclear weapons," the US leader added.
Trump also said that the US would resume strikes against Iran if the parties fail to reach a deal acceptable to Washington.
According to him, the listed leaders have asked the US to postpone such plans "for a while or, hopefully, forever" as the next version of the deal with Iran is being discussed, the US head of state noted. He expressed confidence that there is a good chance of reaching such an agreement.
„Currently, they are working directly with our people and with Iran. "Their chances of being able to achieve something look very good," the American leader added, referring to the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran that would, in particular, prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“And if we can do that without bombing Iran to the ground, I will be very happy“, the US president stressed.
He added that the US had notified Israel and several other countries in the Middle East of the decision to postpone strikes against Iran. “We will see if this leads to anything”, the American head of state said.
Iran will not give up defending its legitimate rights; dialogue with the United States does not mean capitulation, said the President of the Islamic Republic, Masoud Pezeshkian.
“Dialogue does not mean capitulation. The Islamic Republic of Iran will never give up the legitimate rights of its people and country. We will serve the people and defend the interests and dignity of Iran with all our might“, he wrote in X.
Earlier last night, Trump said in an interview with the New York Post that he was not ready to make any concessions to Iran after receiving Tehran's new response to the peace talks.
“I'm not open to anything right now“, Trump said, responding to a question about his willingness to agree to a 20-year moratorium on Iran's uranium enrichment.
The US president also hinted that Washington could take new steps against Tehran. “I can tell you that they want a deal more than ever because they know what's coming“, he said.
However, Trump refused to reveal details of possible US actions. "I can't really talk to you about this. There's too much going on. This is a negotiation. I don't want to be stupid," the US president added.