3 June
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States is prepared to engage in talks with Iran without any pre-conditions.
Pompeo indicated his positive stance toward possible dialogue with Iran at a news conference in Switzerland on Sunday.
But he also stressed the continuation of US policy to maintain pressure on Iran. He said the US will seek to fundamentally reverse what he called the malign activity of the Iranian government and its Revolutionary Guards.
But Iranian officials have responded negatively to Pompeo's offer of direct dialogue, indicating that the differences of opinion remain wide between the two countries.
In an interview with the US network ABC News, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said talks are not likely because talks are part of the continuation of pressure on his country from the US.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson also reacted sharply against Pompeo's suggestion, saying Iran does not pay attention to word-play and expression of hidden agendas in new forms. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his willingness to serve as a mediator between the US and Iran. Final arrangements are being made for his planned visit to Iran in mid-June.
NHK
