Washington: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran wants to negotiate with the United States, saying diplomatic contacts are ongoing and Washington has sufficient time to continue discussions.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said negotiations with Tehran were underway and that Iran remained in constant contact with the United States.
Describing the conflict with Iran as an unconventional war, Trump claimed that the US had spent a substantial amount of money to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons capability and had achieved its objective.
He also said the conflict was not costing American taxpayers significant amounts of money.
Addressing an election rally in Florida, Trump said the United States had prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He maintained that Washington had not started the war, claiming that Iran had been waging a conflict against the United States since 1979.
Trump described Iran as the bully of the Middle East and claimed that the United States had earned nearly ten times more from Venezuela than it had spent on the war with Iran.
He further claimed that more oil was now passing through the Strait of Hormuz than before the war and alleged that Iran’s leadership was struggling to pay salaries to its military personnel.
Reiterating his position, Trump said Iran wanted negotiations and was continuing to communicate with Washington.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Qatari mediators held lengthy discussions with Iranian officials in Tehran regarding the resumption of peace negotiations under a US proposal.