US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said that his government is “prepared to engage in a conversation,” with Iranian officials “with no preconditions.” This statement contrasts with the tough stance the Trump administration has taken on Iran so far. However, Pompeo added that “the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force, is going to continue.”
The apparent shift in tone did not seem to impress the Iranian regime. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman dismissed Pompeo’s remarks as “wordplay” and as a new way for Washington to expresses its “hidden agenda.”
Tensions between the US and Iran have risen dramatically in recent weeks after the US imposed new sanctions on Iran. The deteriorating situation is fueling global worries about a possible military conflict between the two countries.
Read more: US says ready to talk but Iran dismisses the offer as ‘wordplay’