The U.S. president said Iran initially wanted to hold talks through intermediaries, but he believes Tehran changed its position.

Washington, DC – Donald Trump suggested that Iran may agree to negotiate with the United States despite the intensification of tensions and back-and-forth threats between the two countries.

The U.S. president was optimistic about the prospect of face-to-face diplomacy with Tehran in his address to reporters on Thursday.

“I think it would be better if we had direct negotiations,” he said. “I think it’s much faster than you want to use an intermediary and you’re much better on the other end. They want to use an intermediary. I don’t think that must be correct.”

Last month, Trump sent a letter to Iranian leaders demanding negotiations to resolve Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. president also regularly threatens Iran’s military strikes.

Tehran Rejected The prospect of a direct conversation with Washington but indicates open and indirect diplomacy.

It is unclear whether Iran has indeed changed its position or whether Trump speculates on Tehran’s position.

The U.S. government has been sanctioning Iran in an attempt to completely stifle the country’s oil exports, especially to China.

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump proposed a multilateral agreement that reduced Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for international sanctions against its economy.

Tehran insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons. Israel is the highest U.S. ally in the region and is widely regarded as an undeclared nuclear arsenal.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has pledged to bring “peace” to global conflict – although he has addressed Iran through warnings of public diplomacy proposals and bombing.

“If they don’t reach a deal, it will explode,” he said last week.

Iranian officials responded with their own threats, showing that if the country is attacked, it will oppose U.S. military and interests in the Middle East.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, it said last month.

“The United States and others must know that if they do any malicious behavior against the Iranian state, they will be hit hard.”

However, Tehran’s position in the region appears to have weakened during the ongoing wars in Gaza and beyond.

Israel, for example, killed the highest political and military leadership Hezbollah in LebanonIran was once a wealthy ally. Iranian armed opposition group lost another key partner after overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December.

“I think they’re worried, I think they feel vulnerable, and I don’t want them to feel that way,” Trump said on Thursday.