US President Donald Trump said Iranian officials want to reach an agreement with Washington and “don’t want to be hit,” following months of escalating tensions in the Middle East, Anadolu reports.
“Look, it’s obvious they don’t want to be hit. They want to make a deal. So, we’ll see,” Trump told Punchbowl News in an interview released Friday.
Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement on June 18 and began negotiations on a final deal, but the talks later stalled amid disagreements over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tensions flared again last month after the US carried out fresh strikes inside Iran, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks across the region, including in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Trump said Thursday that negotiations with Iran were progressing well and that an agreement could be reached soon.
READ: Trump accuses Iran of mixed signals, repeats demand for nuclear deal or ‘total surrender’
