President Trump said on Monday that he is willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with "no preconditions," exactly one week after he blasted out a fiery all-caps threat to the regime over Twitter.
“I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don’t know if they’re ready yet,” Trump said, responding to a reporter's question during a White House press conference alongside Italy's new Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte.
.@POTUS on Iran: "I'm ready to meet anytime that they want to and I don't do that from strength or from weakness. I think it's an appropriate thing to do... No preconditions. If they want to meet, I'll meet." pic.twitter.com/KhRc38jrt3
Watch for the MSM to follow the North Korea playbook on this one - blasting Trump for failing to follow "protocol" as he carves a new path through international relations.
Following a warning from Rouhani earlier in the month that hostile US policies could trigger the "mother of all wars," after which Trump blasted back via Twitter:
To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
Trump's decision to meet with Rouhani would be the first major step towards mending relations after he pulled out of the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement in which Tehran committed to curtailing its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions.
Just yesterday we noted that Iran's currency is in freefall - pegging 102,000 Rials to the US Dollar on the black market, according to currency website Bonbast, and confirmed to AFP by a currency trader.
Trump suggested a meeting with Rouhani would be the "appropriate thing to do," and that it would come neither from a position of strength nor weakness, reports Fox News. ...