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Trump Says A Meeting With Iran's Rouhani Could Happen In Coming Weeks


French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump react during a news conference at the end of the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, August 26, 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump react during a news conference at the end of the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, August 26, 2019

One day after intense talks between France and Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump said it was realistic to think that a meeting with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani could happen in the coming weeks.

"I have a good feeling. They have to be good players, if you understand what I mean. They can’t do what they were saying they were going to do, because if they do that, they will be met with really very violent force. So, I think they are going to be good," Trump told reporters at a news conference at a G7 summit in Biarritz.

"I think he is going to want to meet and get their situation straightened out. They are hurting badly."

French President Emmanuel Macron has presented a plan to both sides, which envisages sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for reduction of tensions and possibly negotiations.

But Trump said he is not open to giving Iran compensation for sanctions on its economy imposed by Washington since Washington pulled out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

However, he said that numerous countries would give Iran a credit line to keep it going.

"No we are not paying, we don't pay," Trump said.

"But they may need some money to get them over a very rough patch and if they do need money, and it would be secured by oil, which to me is great security, and they have a lot of oil, but it is secured by oil, so we are really talking about a letter of credit. It would be from numerous countries, numerous countries."

Reporting by Reuters

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