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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the situation with Iran was "so good" at present and indicated that negotiations with Tehran could resume "maybe at some point", while asserting that Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.
Responding to a question on the South Lawn on whether the US would reopen talks with Iran, Trump said, "Maybe at some point, but right now I think the situation is so good." "Look, it's very simple: they have to get rid of it completely; they have to get rid of--no nuclear weapon. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. You know why? Because they'd use it. And we're not going to let them use it. So Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't," he added. Trump's remarks came amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route. On the situation in the Hormuz, Trump said the US had "complete control" of the waterway and claimed that oil supplies had continued despite the tensions. "The Strait, last night we had a lot of boats come through. We have possession, complete control of the Strait," Trump told reporters. He said there was some "nuisance value" due to occasional drone attacks but maintained that oil shipments were continuing. "Over the last couple of weeks we've had a lot of oil coming out. A lot of oil. It's not going to be perfect, but it's a lot of oil coming out," Trump said. Trump also said oil prices had not surged to higher levels due to increased production and alternative sources, including from US states such as Texas, Alaska and Louisiana. His comments came after reports that the US negotiating team had been asked to pause talks with Iran until Tehran was "ready to make a deal". The development followed conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran over the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had earlier said there were no talks or discussions currently scheduled with Iran, while asserting that the waterway remained open and operational. Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States fulfilled commitments under a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets and easing oil sanctions. The Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transit route, has remained at the centre of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, with both sides issuing conflicting statements over its current status. (ANI)
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