HIBAPRESS
US Vice President J.D. Vance said Wednesday that President Donald Trump still prefers a diplomatic solution with Iran, and that he hopes the Iranians will take this seriously in their negotiations tomorrow, Thursday.
Vance added, in an interview with Fox News: "The President has been very clear (in saying) that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon… and will try to achieve that diplomatically." He added: "The most crazy and bad regime in the world cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons… Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon." Vance added that "preventing Iran from possessing nuclear weapons is the supreme military objective if the President chooses the military path." He affirmed that "the diplomatic path is preferred, and we want to reach a situation where Iran cannot terrorize the world with nuclear weapons." Vance stressed that Trump is determined to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons, whether through diplomacy or "other tools." The US vice president explained that his country will continue to exert maximum pressure on Iran "to target the regime's armament capabilities and its support for terrorism." Iranian and American officials are expected to hold the third round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday. On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Iraqchi said before leaving for Geneva: "Iran will resume talks with the United States in Geneva based on the understandings reached in the previous round." He continued: "Tehran will resume talks with a firm determination to reach a just and described agreement in the shortest possible time." On the American side, the delegation will be headed by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The US administration insists that Iran must make major concessions on its nuclear program, including abandoning or restricting uranium enrichment, to avoid any potential US military action. Washington has deployed a huge naval force near the Iranian coast, while Tehran has put its defense systems on high alert.
