Trump: I am honored to meet with Mojtaba Khamenei to reach an agreement with Tehran
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would be ready to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if it contributes to reaching an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said in response to a question about the possibility of meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei: "I don't want to meet him, but if it happens it will be an honor for me, I would like to see if an agreement can be reached, and if it happens, I will meet with him," while stressing that he does not seek such a meeting directly.
The US president added that he would treat any possible meeting with respect, referring to Khamenei's difficult personal circumstances, saying, "Maybe he has negative feelings and doesn't want to meet with me, and I'm certainly not his favorite person, but he's probably a professional."
Trump: We will win over Iran
On the Iranian nuclear issue, Trump revealed that his administration had previously considered the possibility of carrying out a direct operation to extract enriched uranium buried inside Iran, but opposed the idea because of the significant military and logistical risks that would have required the deployment of US troops and equipment within a war zone for a long time.
He explained that the United States is still able to access uranium if it wants to, but does not see the need to do so at this time, stressing that Washington is constantly monitoring Iran's nuclear sites with advanced reconnaissance and surveillance means.
Trump also stressed that any agreement with Iran must ensure that it does not have a nuclear weapon, expressing his belief that Washington has made important progress in this file. "We will win in both cases, whether through military means or through an agreement," he added.
In a related context, the US president confirmed the validity of reports that talked about the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran if American soldiers are killed, saying: "If they kill American soldiers, I think I will make the decision very quickly."
Iran waives 'transit fees' in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran would seek to impose service fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ensuring the security of the ships, rather than transit fees.
In an interview with Iran's Mehr News Agency, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that "Iran does not seek to collect traffic fees, transit fees or transit rights payments."
Tehran will instead seek compensation for services carried out in cooperation with Oman, including assistance in navigation, search and rescue, security and safety services, and environmental cleanup services in the event of contamination, Abadi said.
Gharibabadi added that the strategic waterway "lies entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman," adding that those two governments have sovereignty over the strait "under international law and the law of the sea."
He said the arrangements being drafted would be in line with international law, but acknowledged that they would "not be 100 percent satisfactory to some countries."