US President Donald Trump has told NBC News that a deal with Iran is “very close”.
“We have a couple of points. They don’t even seem like big points,” Trump said. “They’ve conceded the fact that they will not have nuclear weapons. We had a clause in there that [they] will not develop nuclear weapons. And everybody was very happy with it except me.”
Trump said he wanted an additional provision to ensure Iran can’t execute an end run around a deal.
“And I said, ‘Well, what happens if they, not develop, but they go out and purchase, they acquire? I want to put the word, ‘if they buy, purchase or acquire,’” he told the American broadcaster’s Meet the Press programme. “You know, you’ve got to have that in there, too, because that’s not developing. So, they don’t have the right to develop or purchase, acquire or buy.”
He added that the Iranians pushed back “a little bit” on his demand. “And then they didn’t.”
The US president said he would not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift any sanctions before a peace deal is reached. Trump said he would consider those steps after an agreement is done. “Comes after,” he said. “Yeah. If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking. Yeah.”
Trump also said that he was not demanding that Lebanon be a part of a short-term deal with Tehran.
