Pompeo: US willing to talk to Iran ‘with no preconditions’

BELLINZONA, Switzerland — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration is willing to talk with Iran “with no preconditions,” but he says the United States will continue its campaign of pressure against the Islamic Republic.

Tensions have risen between the two countries, and that’s led to fears of open conflict.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis shake hands during a press conference at the Castelgrande in Bellinzona, Switzerland, June 2, 2019. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)

Pompeo is in Switzerland for talks with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. Switzerland represents US interests in Iran.

America’s top diplomat says the US is “prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. We’re ready to sit down” with Iran’s leaders.

But Pompeo also is making clear that “the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.”

US President Donald Trump has signaled willingness to talk with Iran’s leadership. Iranian officials have hinted at the possibility but have also insisted they will not be bulled.

— AP

Content retrieved from: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/pompeo-us-willing-to-talk-to-iran-with-no-preconditions/.