No precondition for talks with Iran, says Trump
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that there is no precondition for talks with Iran except that he would not allow it to acquire nuclear weapons.
Trump, after coming to power, has withdrawn from the Iranian nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Tehran, which requires countries like India to stop purchasing oil from Iran.
"Not as far as I'm concerned. No preconditions," Trump told NBC's 'Meet the Press' when asked if he has any preconditions for talks with Iran.
"You'll talk anywhere?" asked Chuck Todd during the interview.
"Here it is. Look, you can't have nuclear weapons. And if you want to talk about it, good. Otherwise you can live in a shattered economy for a long time to come," Trump said.
The President said that he is surrounded by two groups of people hawks and doves.
"I have some hawks. Yeah, (National Security Advisor) John Bolton is absolutely a hawk. If it was up to him he'd take on the whole world at one time, okay? But that doesn't matter because I want both sides... I was against going into Iraq for years and years.
"And before it ever happened I was against going into Iraq. And some people said, 'Oh I don't know'. I was totally against and I was a private citizen. It never made sense to me. I was against going into the Middle East. We've spent USD 7 trillion in the Middle East right now," Trump said.
He said the US was on the verge of attacking Iran in retaliation of them allegedly shooting an unmanned drones in the Middle East. But he withdrew his permission half an hour before.
"They came and they said, 'Sir, we're ready to go. We'd like a decision'. I said, 'I want to know something before you go. How many people will be killed, in this case Iranians? They said 'Sir, approximately 150'. And I thought about it for a second and said, 'You know what? They shot down an unmanned drone, plane, whatever you want to call it. And here we are sitting with 150 dead people that would have taken place probably within a half an hour after I said go ahead'. And I didn't think it was proportionate," Trump said.
The US has already imposed massive sanctions on Iran.
"We're increasing the sanctions now. But the response is always going to be very strong. I built up a lot of capital. I've had a lot of people that aren't Trump fans saying, 'I can't believe'. You know, a lot of them said, 'We're going to be in World War III the first week'. Didn't work out that way. We're doing great in North Korea. We're doing great in a lot of different places. We knocked out the caliphate in Syria. We knocked out 100 per cent," Trump claimed.
He said that he was ready to negotiate with the Iranians.
"I think they want to negotiate. And I think they want to make a deal. And my deal is clear. Look, they're not going to have a nuclear weapon," he said.
"This isn't about the Straits. Do you know that China gets 91 per cent of its oil from the straits? We don't even need the straits. We have, we are now, because of -- since I came in, we're the number one energy producer in the world. Actually by far.
"And if I get the pipelines approved through the environmental process, which I will in Texas, we'll go up by another 25 per cent. But we're way ahead of Russia, we're way ahead of Saudi Arabia. And I think that they want to negotiate. I don't think they like the position they're in. Their economy absolutely broken," the President said.
Trump refuted reports that he ever sent a letter to the Iranian leaders.
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US lawmakers seek clarity over financial burden, human cost, endgame in Iran conflict
Washington: Tensions rose at the US Capitol on Tuesday as lawmakers sought clearer answers from the Trump administration on the objectives, duration and costs of the ongoing military campaign against Iran, even as preparations advanced for votes aimed at curbing the president’s war powers.
Senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, briefed members of the House and Senate for a second consecutive day behind closed doors, as reported by the Associated Press. The sessions came ahead of votes on war powers resolutions that would limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue joint US-Israel operations without congressional approval.
Rubio told reporters that the president acted to prevent Iran from striking first. He rejected suggestions that Washington moved only because Israel was poised to launch its own offensive, saying instead that Trump believed the weekend presented a rare opportunity to act with maximum impact. “There is no way in the world that this terroristic regime was going to get nuclear weapons, not under Donald Trump’s watch,” Rubio said.
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The conflict has widened following US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since launched missile attacks targeting US military bases in the region. At least six American service personnel have died so far.
The administration has indicated that supplemental funding may be required to sustain operations. It added that the concerns among lawmakers about the financial burden and potential for a prolonged engagement has disrupted legislative business, sharpening political divisions at the start of a competitive midterm election cycle.
Associated Press cited Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s concerns about what he described as possible “mission creep.” Senator Angus King questioned whether the United States had been drawn into war at Israel’s urging, while Senator Elizabeth Warren asked how the campaign aligned with Trump’s “America First” pledge to avoid extended foreign conflicts.
Defence official Elbridge Colby told senators the president had directed the military to degrade Iran’s missile capabilities and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, stressing that the objective was not nation-building. Trump, speaking separately from the Oval Office, dismissed claims that Israel had forced his decision and suggested the conflict could continue if necessary. He has not ruled out deploying US ground troops.
Senator Richard Blumenthal was quoted by Associated Press as saying that he feared the possibility of American boots on the ground while Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin defended the operation, saying the president had acted decisively.
Uncertainty over Iran’s future leadership has added to concerns, with questions mounting about who might succeed Khamenei as Trump rejected the idea of backing Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran’s former monarchy. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the future of Iran should be determined by its people and House Speaker Mike Johnson said the United States would not engage in nation-building.
Lawmakers from both parties also reported a surge in calls from constituents seeking assistance for Americans attempting to leave the region as hostilities intensify.
The US Constitution grants Congress the right to declare war, however presidents have routinely begun military activities without formal declarations. Both houses are anticipated to vote on proposals that would require explicit congressional approval to continue operations. Some members have also argued that if constraints are not imposed, Congress should consider issuing an Authorization for the Use of Military Force to put lawmakers on the record.
Associated Press quoted House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioning the rationale for the campaign and saying there would be strong support among Democrats for the resolution. Johnson, however, warned that restricting the president during active combat could pose risks.
