US open to talks with Iran: envoy
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have "made clear that we are ready to negotiate and to have those discussions," Brian Hook said at Washington think tank the Hudson Institute on Wednesday.
"There hasn't been any aversion to meeting with the Iranians," he said.
Washington is ready to work out a new, stronger deal with Tehran that would cover Iran’s ballistic missiles and “malign” regional influence, in addition to its nuclear program, he explained.
“The new deal that we hope to be able to sign with Iran, and it will not be a personal agreement between two governments like the last one, we seek a treaty,” he said.
Hook blamed Iran’s leaders for not being interested in engaging with the US.
“That's their position, we respect that,” he said, but added that Washington will proceed with its plans.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has ruled out talks with the US, for now.
“There is no basis for talks,” he told Der Spiegel in an interview published Tuesday.
If the US rejoined the nuclear deal that Trump quit in May, “that would make it possible to consider holding talks,” he added.
However, he dismissed expanding negotiations to other issues beyond Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will be in New York next to attend the UN general assembly. Trump will also be in town and will chair a Security Council session on Iran.
Rudaw
