Trump Administration Says It Will Negotiate with Iran With 'No Preconditions' - The New York Times

The less combative language does not change the fact that the Trump administration has tightened economic sanctions on Iran, ordered 1,500 additional troops to the Persian Gulf and revised military plans against Iran.Even in opening the door to talks, Mr. Pompeo said the United States would continue to try to counter Iran’s support of groups in the Middle East that undermine American interests.“We’re prepared to engage in a conversation with no preconditions,” Mr. Pompeo said at a news conference in Switzerland, which acts as a conduit between Washington and Tehran. Mr. Rouhani said Iran was willing to talk with the United States if it “sits respectfully at the negotiating table” rather than ordering Iran to hold discussions.“We have shown that we do not submit to bullying,” Mr. Rouhani said, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said Sunday that Mr. Pompeo’s statement was “word play” and that what mattered to Tehran was a change in the American government’s “general approach and actual behavior toward the Iranian nation,” Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported.Mr. Trump abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran a year ago, fulfilling a campaign promise, and reimposed major economic sanctions in November.