US in no rush for Iran talks, Trump says

The United States is in no hurry to enter talks with Iran, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, pointing to last month’s American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as a source of leverage.

“They would like to talk. I’m in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site,” Trump told reporters.

The US president made the remarks shortly after returning from Pittsburgh, adding that Washington remained in control of the diplomatic timeline.

Iranian lawmakers responded Wednesday by urging the government to set firm preconditions before entering any new negotiations with the United States.

“When the US uses negotiations as a tool to deceive Iran and to cover for sudden military attacks by the Zionist regime, talks cannot continue as before,” a statement read during parliament’s open session said, according to state media.

The declaration called for a fundamental shift in Iran’s approach to diplomatic engagement. “Preconditions must be established, and until they are fully met, no new negotiations should take place,” the statement said.

Axios reported Tuesday that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for Middle East affairs, had conveyed a message to Iranian officials: any future discussions must take place directly, without intermediaries.

“Witkoff has made it clear to the Iranians that any future talks must be direct, rather than mediated by a third party, to avoid misunderstandings and expedite the process,” the outlet quoted a senior US official as saying.

Iran’s foreign ministry has not confirmed any progress toward such talks. Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday that no time or location had been agreed for a meeting between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff.

“So long as we are not assured of the effectiveness of diplomacy and the negotiation process, we will not enter such a process,” Baghaei said.