“I’ll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they’ll be very important,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
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.
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.