Trump: If Iranians want to meet, we will; otherwise, it doesn't matter to me

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated in an exclusive interview with Reuters on August 20 that he would meet with Iranian officials if they wanted, but otherwise, it does not matter to him whether they meet or not. Regarding the Iranian officials' reaction to his proposal for an unconditional meeting with their leaders, Trump said that if they want to meet, there is no problem, and if they do not want to, it does not matter to him whether they meet or not. Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA, and reinstated related sanctions against Iran, has recently expressed readiness to negotiate with the Islamic Republic, even without preconditions. On July 24, he stated: 'We are ready to reach a real agreement, not what was formed in the previous administration, which was a disaster.' Trump's proposal for unconditional negotiations with Iran to find a replacement for the JCPOA elicited reactions from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, and other Iranian officials. The Supreme Leader prohibited negotiations with the U.S., and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards stated that Iran would not negotiate with Trump or any future U.S. presidents. Hassan Rouhani also reacted by saying that the Islamic Republic is engaging and negotiating with 'the whole world,' and the Americans have themselves destroyed the 'conditions for negotiation' with Tehran. The Iranian President added that although the negotiations between Iran and the U.S. were progressing 'well,' the U.S. 'destroyed it and burned the bridge.' In June of this year, over a hundred political and civil activists inside and outside Iran issued a statement referring to the 'global' welcome for the U.S. President's meeting with the North Korean leader and the 'dangerous situation in the region,' calling for 'direct and unconditional negotiations' between Iran and the U.S. Trump has previously cited the incompleteness of the JCPOA, the lack of coverage of Iran's missile program, and what he called Tehran's destructive role in regional peace and stability as reasons for exiting the nuclear agreement. He is calling for a new agreement that includes Iran's missile program and regional activities.