Rouhani Aide: Trump Could Pave Way for Talks by Returning to Nuclear Deal

Following President Trump’s offer of talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with no preconditions, one of Rouhani’s top aides suggested that Trump could best facilitate that by returning to the P5+1 nuclear deal.

Hamid Aboutalebi

The aide, Hamid Aboutalebi, issued the statement via Twitter, saying “Respecting the Iranian nation’s rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America.”

Trump withdrew the US from the P5+1 nuclear deal in early May, and today called it a “waste of paper.” He has demanded that Iran accept a “better” deal, but has not provided much specifics about what he actually wants. US cabinet officials have had to meet recently to try to sort out exactly what the US demands even are.

Administration officials have not responded to the Tweet, but it can be assumed that President Trump would not bring the US back into the existing nuclear deal. Toning down hostilities and respecting Iran, while not exactly consistent with Trump’s past negotiating strategies, might still be enough to get talks off to a good start.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.