President Donald Trump said he canceled the planned trip by US negotiators to Pakistan because there was “no reason” to have people travel for 16 or 17 hours when Iran’s position was not good enough, but said Tehran sent an improved paper shortly after the cancellation.
“There’s no reason to wait two days, have people traveling for 16, 17 hours. We’re not doing it that way,” Trump told reporters before leaving Palm Beach International Airport. “When they want, they can call me. We have all the cards. We won everything.”
Asked what had changed since he said the United States was dealing with whoever was in charge in Iran, Trump said: “Nothing. It’s just that they gave us a paper that should have been better.”
“Interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” he added.
Trump said Washington would deal with Iran by phone rather than send negotiators to Pakistan, and that there was no reason for US officials to travel to Pakistan to meet people “nobody ever heard of before.”
He said the United States had “won everything” and repeated that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump said the core issue remained Iran’s nuclear program.
“That whole deal is not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple,” he said.
Asked whether Iran had offered anything in return for a 20-year suspension of enriched uranium, Trump said: “They offered a lot, but not enough.”
Trump also said there was “tremendous infighting” in Iran and suggested rival factions might be competing over leadership, adding: “In many cases, I think they’re fighting not to be the leader.”
