STORY: :: February 16, 2026
:: Trump says that he will be involved 'indirectly' in talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program
"So I'll be involved in those talks indirectly and they'll be very important. We'll see what can happen. I mean it's been typically, Iran is a very tough negotiator. They're good negotiators or bad negotiators - I would say they're bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential. We had to send the B-2s. I hope, I hope they're going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal."
JOURNALIST: "Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?"
"No, I think they want to make a deal. I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal."
Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the U.S. deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, U.S. officials have told Reuters.
Asked about the prospects for a deal, Trump said Iran sought tough negotiations but learned the consequences of such a hardened stance last summer when the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump suggested Iranians were motivated this time to negotiate.
