United States President Donald Trump on Monday urged Iran to be “reasonable” in the upcoming round of negotiations over the nuclear deal, while referring to the June 2025 B-2 bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he would be “indirectly” involved in the talks with Tehran and stressed the importance of the discussions. He remarked that Iran is a tough negotiator but suggested that a deal could have been reached earlier instead of resorting to military action involving B-2 bombers targeting its nuclear infrastructure.
“I will be involved in those talks indirectly. It will be very important. Iran is a tough negotiator, but I would say they are bad negotiators, as we could have had a deal instead of sending out B-2s to knock out their nuclear potential. I hope they are going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal,” Trump said, adding that the Middle East remains largely stable despite isolated tensions.
The United States and Iran are expected to hold the next round of nuclear talks on Tuesday (local time) in Geneva, CNN reported. According to the report, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are likely to participate in the meetings.
Earlier rounds of negotiations were held in April 2025 in Muscat, Oman, and in Rome, Italy.
However, on June 21–22, 2025, under “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the United States carried out strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Iran condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Responding to questions about the proposed Board of Peace for Gaza, Trump said global leaders involved in the initiative would coordinate efforts with the United Nations. He added that member states have pledged over USD 5 billion for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, with a key meeting of the Board scheduled for February 19. (Agency)
