Trump casts doubt on potential Iran deal, says it must address non-nuclear issues

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump cast doubt Tuesday on the potential for his administration to strike a lasting agreement with Iran, saying any pact must cover matters far beyond Tehran's nuclear program.

Asked during a Fox Business interview if a new agreement with Iran "would ever really stick," the president said: "I don't know. I know one thing, they want to make a deal."

"They wouldn't talk to anybody else, but they're talking to me. But, you know, it's a good question. A lot of people say no, and I would say that I'd rather make a deal. It's got to be a good deal, no nuclear weapons, no missiles, no this, no that, all the different things that you want," Trump said.

"But some people worry that they've been very dishonest with us over the years, right? Very dishonest. Obama, Obama and Biden, what they did in terms of creating a monster with Iran was terrible. That Iran nuclear deal was one of the dumbest deals I've ever seen," he added.

Iran and the US are preparing for the next round of nuclear negotiations after the first took place in Oman on Friday following a nearly eight-month suspension that followed Trump's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Tension has escalated between Washington and Tehran, fueled by an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and repeated threats of military action by Trump.