US President Donald Trump voiced optimism Monday that diplomacy with Iran could produce a deal to end the months-long war, but warned that Washington would resume military strikes if negotiations failed.
"I have a lot of patience... We'll see what happens. I think there is a good chance that something could happen," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked about possible progress in peace talks.
"If it doesn't, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago."
Iran and the United States have held their fire for three consecutive days after 13 nights of renewed US attacks, offering a narrow opening for diplomacy following the collapse of an earlier ceasefire agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said Iranian leaders had requested a meeting and argued that "the only reason they want to meet is because we've been hitting them very hard."
Tehran, however, earlier denied that direct negotiations were under way, saying mediators were merely relaying messages from Washington.
The lull has eased pressure on global markets, but the conflict remains volatile. Saudi Arabia said Monday it had intercepted drones launched by Iran-linked groups in Iraq, while Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi rebels claimed attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.
Trump also dismissed concerns that five months of war had depleted US ammunition stocks.
"We have a lot of ammunition," he said. "We have a lot of the mid-level stuff too, more than we could ever use, no matter what."
He added that he would prefer larger reserves but complained that "so much was given to Ukraine" in its war with Russia.
Asked whether Saudi Arabia was considering joining the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel, Trump said: "We haven't talked, no."
Trump faced wide-ranging questions on foreign policy, including about what would happen to money seized from Venezuela.
Trump said it could be directed to the US military and suggested Washington could similarly extract funds from Iran.
"We are taking in a lot of money. Billions and billions of dollars," he said. "That will happen with Iran too."
Latest stories
Sports BVB holt Teenager Karetsas aus Genk
Der Wechsel von Konstantinos Karetsas zu Borussia Dortmund ist nach SID-Informationen in trockenen Tüchern. Der 18 Jahre alte Grieche kommt vom belgischen Erstligisten KRC Genk zu den Westfalen, wo er im offensiven Mittelfeld die Nachfolge von Julian Brandt antreten soll. Die Ablöse liegt bei kolportierten 30 Millionen Euro plus zwei Millionen Euro Bonuszahlungen, teurer war beim BVB in Summe...
Panorama UN-Aidshilfe: Hilfsgelder für den Kampf gegen HIV 2025 drastisch gekürzt
Gelder zur Bekämpfung von Aids sind nach Angaben der UN-Aidshilfe im vergangenen Jahr weltweit drastisch gekürzt worden. Die Mittel für HIV-Hilfsprogramme in Entwicklungsländern seien 2025 im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um fast ein Fünftel zurückgegangen, heißt es in einem UN-Bericht anlässlich der am Montag eröffneten Aids-Konferenz im brasilianischen Rio de Janeiro...
Wirtschaft Dieselgate: Renault muss sich in Frankreich wegen Betrugs vor Gericht verantworten
Im Zusammenhang mit dem Dieselskandal muss sich der französische Autohersteller Renault in Frankreich wegen mutmaßlichen Betrugs vor Gericht verantworten. Dem Unternehmen wird vorgeworfen, Vorrichtungen in seinen Dieselfahrzeugen eingebaut zu haben, die zur Umgehung von Abgasvorschriften dienten, wie die Staatsanwaltschaft am Montag der Nachrichtenagentur AFP mitteilte. Die erste Anhörung in dem...