Trump says he will be involved indirectly in Iran talks

"I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump says of Iran. Advertisement World Trump says he will be involved indirectly in Iran talks "I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump says of Iran. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Pope Army Airfield, in Fort Bragg, NC, Feb 13, 2026, en route to Palm Beach, Fla. (File photo: AP/Matt Rourke) 17 Feb 2026 08:50AM (Updated: 17 Feb 2026 08:59AM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump said on Monday (Feb 16) that he would be involved "indirectly" in talks between Iran and the US over Tehran's nuclear programme set to begin on Tuesday in Geneva, adding he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal."I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they'll be very important," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the US deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, US officials have told Reuters. Related: Iran foreign minister met IAEA chief ahead of nuclear talks US, Iran to hold new round of nuclear talks in Geneva next week 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 US bombed Iranian nuclear sites.Trump suggested Iranians were motivated this time to negotiate."I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump said.Prior to the US joining Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites in June, Iran-US nuclear talks had stalled over Washington's demand that Tehran forgo enrichment on its soil, which the US views as a pathway to an Iranian nuclear weapon.Iran's civil defense organisation on Monday held a chemical defence drill in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone to strengthen preparedness for potential chemical incidents in the energy hub located in southern Iran. Source: Reuters Sign up for our newsletters Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox Subscribe here Get the CNA app Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories Download here Get WhatsApp alerts Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app Join here Related Topics Iran nuclear Advertisement Also worth reading Content is loading... Advertisement Expand to read the full story Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST