President Donald Trump said that the US and Iran are participating in direct talks over the Middle Eastern country's nuclear program.
The President told reporters: "We're having direct talks with Iran, and they've started. It'll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we'll see what can happen. And I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable."
It comes as Trump was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid global financial instability following his tariff plan.
Iran had pushed back against Trump's demands that it directly negotiate over its nuclear program or be bombed, though it had initially left the door open to indirect discussions.
Donald Trump in 'direct talks with Iran' over nuclear deal as he teases 'high level' meeting to go ahead in DAYS
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Trump speaks during a ceremony honoring the members of the 2024 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
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Warnings by Trump of military action against Iran has already raised tense nerves across the Middle East after open warfare in Gaza and Lebanon, military strikes on Yemen, a change of leadership in Syria and Israeli-Iranian exchanges of fire.
Trump has said he would prefer a deal over Iran's nuclear program to a military confrontation and said on March 7 he had written to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to suggest talks.
Iranian officials said at the time that Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations.
During his 2017-2021 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal's limits on uranium enrichment.
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
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President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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An Israeli tank maneuvers in Gaza
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Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house,
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Speaking at the joint press conference, Trump said that he is "trying very hard to get the hostages out" of Gaza, and controlling and owning the heavily bombarded enclave would be a "good thing".
Trump says that the US is "looking at another ceasefire, we'll see what happens" adding Prime Minister Netanyahu is "working very, very hard".
Netanyahu says it will take years to rebuild Gaza following years of war, adding that Trump has a vision for Gaza and the two countries are working on it.
Israel launched the war after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
Palestinian children inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip
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Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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While Trump did not say where the meeting with Iran would be taking place, he said: "If talks with Iran aren't successful, I think [they] will be in great danger."
He said that the reason the US is not implementing tariffs in Russia is because "we're not doing business with Russia".
Trump added that he is "not happy" with Russia or "all the bombing that's been going on for the last week or so".
