Iran International congressional reporter
US President Donald Trump should clarify the objectives of his initiative to hold direct negotiations with Iran, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told Iran International on Tuesday, questioning the veracity of the president's assertions.
"The President should share with the Congress what his goals are," Murphy said. "I have no idea what he thinks he's going to achieve."
Trump announced on Monday during a joint Oval Office appearance with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that 'top level' negotiations will commence between the United States and Iran in Oman on Saturday.
Murphy cast doubt over the event's significance, accusing Trump of lying and not discussing his plans with lawmakers.
“Most of the stuff he says isn’t real ...He lies every single day," the Connecticut Senator said. "He engages in all sorts of negotiations that go nowhere and have no point. So this could be another version."
Trumps Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will lead the talks, the exact arrangement of which remains unclear as Tehran insists it would be indirect.
Iran's supreme leader rejected direct negotiations with the United States last month, warning his officialdom that the Trump administration was not to be trusted after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term.
Broder context
Republican Senator John Hoeven was more supportive of the plan to engage with Iran while it was weakened by Israeli onslaught in Gaza and Lebanon and American attacks on Houthis in Yemen.
“It’s very important that we have direct negotiations,” he told Iran International on Tuesday, adding that a deal that stops Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons would be unlikely without face-to-face engagement while hitting Tehran's regional allies.
“The Houthis are funded and supported by Iran. They are a proxy of Iran's,” he said. “So when we go after the Houthis, that's another way of going after Iran.”
President Trump has ordered several airstrikes on the rebel group, warning Tehran that it will be held responsible for all attacks emanating from Yemen.
Hoeven said the strikes were a message to Tehran that it has to stop supporting armed groups across the region.
“This state backed terror by Iran has to stop,” he said, listing groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Iran-backed groups in Iraq.
