The United States does not seek “regime change” in longtime foe Iran, President Donald Trump says during a historic visit to meet Japan’s new emperor.
Iran “has a chance to be a great country, with the same leadership. We’re not looking for regime change, I want to make that clear. We’re looking for no nuclear weapons,” he says at a joint press conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal. I think that’s very smart of them and I think there’s a possibility for that to happen also,” he says.
Trump had earlier opened the door to negotiations with Tehran, saying: “If they’d like to talk, we’d like to talk also.”
US President Donald Trump (L) speaks during a joint press conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on May 27, 2019. (Kiyoshi Ota / POOL / AFP)
The comments are in marked contrast to growing concerns in Washington about conflict after the administration dispatched an aircraft carrier, bomber planes and 1,500 extra troops to the region in response to alleged Iranian threats.
Trump has sought to dismantle an international agreement meant to reward Iran for opening its nuclear program to outside controls, instead adding crippling new US sanctions seen by many as aimed at bringing down the government.
— AFP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 27, 2019
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
