Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

U.S. Top Diplomat Hints at Possible Direct Talks with Iranian Counterpart

U.S. Top Diplomat Hints at Possible  Direct Talks with Iranian Counterpart

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hinted on Saturday that he was open to direct talks with Iran in the future.
“In terms of whether I would ever pick the phone up, I’ve never shut off the phone to anyone that wants to talk or have a productive conversation,” said Tillerson during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“At this point, I have no plans to call my counterpart in Iran, although in all likelihood we will talk at the right time,” said Tillerson.
Iran’s incumbent moderate President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday won the presidential election by garnering 57 percent of the votes, according to the Iranian Interior Ministry.
Tillerson said he wanted Rouhani to “begin a process of dismantling” what he called “destabilizing forces that exist in this region.”
Tillerson’s remarks were made during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first official overseas trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel, Iran’s main regional rivals in the Middle East. (Xinhua)