Huckabee to Newsmax: Iran Talks Only Work If Tehran Gives Up Nuclear Weapons

High-stakes U.S.-Iran talks in Oman are "at least good news" because they keep the door open to a peaceful outcome, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Newsmax Saturday.

However, he warned that any deal must meet President Donald Trump's red lines on Iran's nuclear program, uranium enrichment, and ballistic missiles.

"Every time there is a talk, it is at least good news that people are having the conversations about what would it take to have a peaceful resolution," Huckabee told Newsmax's "Saturday Report."

But Huckabee said Tehran's track record should temper expectations.

"Let's be realistic. The Iranians are not used to peaceful resolutions," he said. "They're used to obstinance, stubbornness. They've been doing it for 47 years."

The talks, held Friday, come as Trump seeks a diplomatic agreement with Iran rather than military action.

Trump, when asked about the talks, said the U.S. is "in no rush."

"We have very good talks with Iran, he said. "We're going to meet again early next week and they want to make a deal."

Huckabee said a negotiated settlement only works if Iran accepts Trump's core demands.

"The only thing that's going to work in terms of a negotiated settlement is if Iran recognizes that the president's message to them still holds, you're not going to have a nuclear weapon," he said.

"You don't get to enrich uranium, and you're going to have to deal with that amazingly large battery of ballistic missiles."

Huckabee also pointed to U.S. military posture in the region, saying Iran should not mistake Trump's willingness to talk for weakness.

"It's an extraordinary gift to say we're going to go. We're going to meet you face to face," he said, adding that the United States is "keeping that USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group right there in theater."

He contrasted Trump's approach with those of prior administrations.

"Let's hope they understand they're not dealing with [Barack] Obama," he said. "He sent them cash. President Trump sent them a B-2 bomber with some of the most amazing devices that have ever been released from an airplane."

He added that he hopes that the situation in Iran doesn't come to military action, but pointed out that the aircraft carrier was not deployed "just to burn fuel."

Huckabee said he hopes Iran changes course, calling for the regime to stop domestic repression and end support for militant proxy groups.

"Let's hope that Iran decides they're going to quit murdering their people," he said. "They're quitting funding all of these proxy groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and they're going to get rid of their nuclear aspirations."

Huckabee also on Saturday reacted to news that a suspect tied to the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been taken into custody and brought to the United States, calling the arrest long overdue and praising Trump's Justice Department leadership.

Huckabee said he will never forget the four Americans, "Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and, of course, Glen Doherty" who died in the attack.

"All of them lost their lives unnecessarily, horribly, in an attack on Benghazi," he said, adding that the United States is showing that it will keep pursuing accountability for the incident.

He said the U.S. is showing it will keep pursuing those responsible.

"The fact that the United States didn't say, 'Well, there's nothing we can do about it now,' I'm glad to see that we're saying there is something we can do, and by gosh, we're doing it," Huckabee said.

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