President Donald Trump on January 6 on his way to Camp David told reporters that Iran is facing difficulties and "they want to talk".

Listing his successes and plans on foreign policy, the U.S. president mentioned Iran, saying, "Iran is doing very poorly. Once I took the horrible Iran nuclear deal off, it has had a massive effect in Iran; they are pulling back troops all over the place. They are not doing well. They want to talk."

There have been no other indications that Iran has made any overtures to the United Sates for talks, although it is possible such contacts would remain secret in their initial stages.

It is also not clear if Iran has pulled back troops and to what extent, although military operations in Syria are now less intense and sporadic. In Iraq also, with the defeats the Islamic State group has suffered, Iran might have reduced its military involvement.

Some recent statement by top Iranian leaders indicate that the Islamic Republic is nervous about the possibility of popular revolt in 2019. A sharply declining economy and intermittent protest have increased the chances of a more serious mass unrest.