Trump predicts Teheran talks 'pretty soon'

Iran keeps options open amid doubts over US president's trustworthiness

TAMPA, Florida - US President Donald Trump has suggested that talks with Iran were imminent, but the idea has been criticized in Teheran, with the country's foreign minister warning that "PR stunts won't work".

Teheran has not given a definitive response to Trump's statement that he would meet "any time" without preconditions, but skepticism has been seen in Iran over the possibility.

"I have a feeling they'll be talking to us pretty soon," Trump said on Tuesday, before adding: "And maybe not, and that's OK too."

He also used the occasion to again blast the "horrible, one-sided" 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers from which Trump withdrew.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also told a news conference that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo supports Trump's latest statement on Iran.

The United States is set to start reimposing full sanctions on Iran from Aug 6 - a move that has already contributed to a major currency crisis, with the rial losing two thirds of its value in six months.

Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, a member of the influential Iranian Expediency Council, said Trump's suggestion that he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani should not be categorically rejected.

"It should be discussed in the Supreme National Security Council," said Nategh Nouri, who is also a former aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Nategh Nouri added: "We have to contemplate (the gesture) but we should not rejoice over this offer and not get excited."

But several others said it was impossible to imagine negotiations with the US after it tore up the deal in May.

"Iran& US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord - the JCPOA (the nuclear deal). It's been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out& leaving the table," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.

"Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won't work. Try respect: for Iranians & for (international) commitments."

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said: "America is not trustworthy. After it arrogantly and unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement, how can it be trusted?"

Only last week, Trump fired off an all-caps tirade at Rouhani on Twitter, warning of untold "suffering" if Iran continued to threaten the US.

The issue of trust was also on the minds of ordinary Iranians, many of whom said they find it hard to believe the word of a man who is trying to destroy their economy, and has banned them from flying to the US.

"If they are honest in their words that they want to have negotiations with us without any preconditions, at least they should stay in the JCPOA or they should let us get the benefits of European trade," said Morteza Mehdian, a software engineer in his 20s.

For now, this is also the official line, with Khamenei saying earlier this month that talking to Trump would be "useless".

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday said "there is no possibility for talks", ahead of Trump's statement.

Afp - Xinhua - Reuters

(China Daily 08/02/2018 page12)