US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be involved "indirectly" in talks between Iran and the US over Tehran's nuclear program set to begin on Tuesday in Geneva, adding he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal.
"I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they'll be very important," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the US deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, US officials have told Reuters.
Asked about the prospects for a deal, Trump said Iran sought tough negotiations but learned the consequences of such a hardened stance last summer when the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran motivated to negotiate, says Trump
Trump suggested Iranians were motivated this time to negotiate.
"I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump said.
Prior to the US joining Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites in June, Iran-US nuclear talks had stalled over Washington's demand that Tehran forgo enrichment on its soil, which the US views as a pathway to an Iranian nuclear weapon.
Iran's civil defense organization on Monday held a chemical defense drill in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone to strengthen preparedness for potential chemical incidents in the energy hub located in southern Iran.
Additionally, it was reported on Sunday that just days before Tuesday’s meeting in Geneva between Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iran’s foreign minister, officials in both the US and Israel assess that the chances of a deal between Iran and the US are slim.
The Iranian foreign minister, leading a delegation of representatives from political, legal, technical, and economic fields, is expected to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi on Monday, who would oversee any nuclear agreement to ensure compliance.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview with the BBC that Iran is willing to consider concessions to reach a nuclear deal with the United States if Washington shows readiness to discuss lifting sanctions.