Donald Trump says US close to nuclear deal with Iran
Donald Trump has raised hopes of a nuclear deal between the US and Iran with the Republican saying Tehran has ‘sort of’ agreed to the terms.
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The US is getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
In what would avert a military strike on the country’s contested nuclear sites, Mr Trump said Tehran had “sort of” agreed to the terms.
“We’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” the Republican said in Qatar, the second stop of his multi-day Gulf tour.
“We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran.
“We’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this… there (are) two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step and there is the violent step, but I don’t want to do it the second way.”
Oil prices immediately dropped following the comments made by Mr Trump, who said he was basing his optimism on new statements by Iran.
“You probably read today the story about Iran. It’s sort of agreed to the terms,” Mr Trump said.
The US President did not specify which remarks he was referring to, but an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, said in a US media interview that Tehran was willing to accept far-reaching curbs on its nuclear programme.
Shamkhani told ABC News that Iran would give up stockpiles of highly enriched uranium as part of a deal in which the US would lift sanctions.
Mr Trump said that Iran should “say a big thank you” to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who had pressed the US leader to avoid military action against his country’s giant neighbour.
“Iran is very lucky to have the emir because he’s actually fighting for them. He doesn’t want us to do a vicious blow to Iran,” he said.
Mr Trump has pursued diplomacy with Iran as he seeks to stave off a threatened military strike by Israel on Tehran’s contested nuclear programme.
His Qatar visit is the second destination of his Gulf tour, after a first stop in Riyadh, where he made a surprise announcement lifting sanctions on Syria and met the country’s president.
Originally published as Donald Trump says US close to nuclear deal with Iran
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