The News
An Iran nuclear deal appeared slightly more plausible after the Islamic Republic acknowledged the “opportunities” of dealing with US President Donald Trump.
Trump earlier wrote to Iran’s supreme leader, offering new nuclear talks even as his administration touts a return to a “maximum pressure” campaign to hammer the country’s economy. Tehran, which has always denied seeking to build nuclear weapons, ruled out direct negotiations.
However, its foreign minister said it was “assessing all… aspects” of Trump’s letter, a change in tone that raised hopes of a rapprochement: Iran’s “axis of resistance” in the Middle East has been weakened, with Hezbollah and Hamas both damaged and Syria’s Assad regime removed, and it is struggling economically under sanctions.