The US and Iran will hold “direct talks” over a possible nuclear deal on Saturday, says American President Donald Trump.
The meeting has also been confirmed by Iran’s foreign minister, who said the talks would be “indirect” but could be “as much an opportunity as… a test”.
Trump – who unilaterally pulled his country out of a previous deal with Iran during his first presidency – said discussions would be at “very high level”. He warned it would be a “very bad day for Iran” if no agreement was reached.
Last month, the US president raised the prospect of military action against Iran after its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly rejected the offer of direct talks.
Trump disclosed the talks after a White House meeting with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, who has also previously raised the prospect of attacking Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said: “We have a very big meeting on Saturday [with Iran], and we’re dealing with them directly… And maybe a deal is going to be made, that would be great.”
Trump later said Iran would be in “great danger” if the talks were not successful, adding: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if the talks aren’t successful, I actually think it’ll be a very bad day for Iran.”
The president did not provide further details about the talks, including how progressed they are or which officials have been involved.
