Trump Says Prepared to Talk to Iran With No Preconditions

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump says he’s prepared to hold talks with Iranian leaders with no preconditions, repeating an offer made previously by his administration.

Trump made the comment in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” conducted on Friday and broadcast on Sunday.

“Not as far as I’m concerned. No preconditions,” Trump said when asked about the potential to talk, according to a transcript provided by the network.

Trump said the proposed discussions have “nothing to do with oil” or shipments through the the Strait of Hormuz but with preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons as the U.S. maintains crippling economic sanctions.

“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 told NBC he thinks Iran wants to negotiate and make a deal, but Iranian leaders earlier this month rebuffed a similar offer by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo -- saying the suggestion amounted to “word play” given the Trump administration’s other actions toward the Islamic Republic, including pulling out of a multilateral nuclear deal.

Pence Speaks

Vice President Mike Pence also said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union’’ that the U.S. is willing to talk without preconditions but that Iran can never acquire nuclear weapons and continue to sow violence.

Pence said he’s not aware of any outreach by Iran since Trump abruptly called off a plan for air strikes against the Islamic Republic on Thursday.

The vice president said Trump decided not to attack Iran after he was given more specific projections about likely casualties late in the process, and because he had doubt that the downing of the drone was authorized at the highest levels in Iran.

In doing so, Trump brushed off the views of some of his more hawkish advisers and lawmakers like Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, who said on “Fox News Sunday” that a retaliatory strike would have been warranted. Trump on Saturday described himself as “a man with common sense” and said “the only one that matters is me.”

‘Fine Line’

“The president is clearly trying to navigate a fine line to show that you cannot attack Americans and American military equipment without having a response,” Representative Mac Thornberry of Texas, top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “At the same time, he’s very conscious of not getting on an escalatory ladder that leads to a military conflict that neither side wants.”

Echoing comments that National Security Adviser John Bolton made this weekend in Jerusalem, Pence said “Iran should not mistake restraint for lack of resolve’’ and “all options remain on the table’’ as Iran steps up its attacks.

“Iran’s economy is literally crumbling,’’ Pence said. “We’ve isolated them economically and diplomatically, and they’ve lashed out.’’

On Saturday, Trump said that the U.S. will impose major new sanctions on Iran on Monday, announced on Twitter with no further detail provided. Trump last week also ordered a cyber attack against Iranian targets, the Washington Post reported.

In a separate interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Pence declined to comment on convert operations or provide more detail about the additional sanctions expected on Monday. But he said he hopes Trump’s restraint in not launching an attack sends a message to the people.

“While we stand firmly against the ayatollahs, we have the highest hopes for the Iranian people,” Pence said. “But it’s time for Iran to recognize that the United States of America will never allow them to obtain a nuclear weapon.’’

--With assistance from Hailey Waller and Ben Brody.

To contact the reporters on this story: Ros Krasny in Washington at rkrasny1@bloomberg.net;Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Gordon at cgordon39@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, Mark Niquette

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