President Donald Trump has a unique feel for complex negotiations, so the situation with Iran will have to be taken a day at a time, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker told Newsmax on Tuesday.
Asked about Tehran's request to change the location and framework of the discussions with the U.S., Whitaker told "Bianca Across the Nation" that "we have an armada that is in the region right now.
"The president said that if they don't make a deal, that's going to be very bad for the Iranian government.
"And so I think we'll take it a day at a time."
Whitaker emphasized that "this is one of those things that President Trump always has a unique feel for these situations. He knows when people are working towards a result, and he knows when they're not."
While the ambassador would not give a timeline for what will happen concerning the talks with Iran, he said that there are "two absolutes. One, they can never have a nuclear weapon as the chief terror sponsor worldwide.
"And second, they need to stop killing their people that are protesting and want freedom."
Whitaker added that "President Trump's not going to be indefinitely patient. But at the same time, if he sees progress, if he sees movement, if he sees a deal can be had, then certainly he will try to see that through."
He added: "I'm not going to make any predictions or timelines, because President Trump sure doesn't make predictions or timelines. He makes very clear statements.
"He says what the expectation is and then if we can move to get that deal."
Whitaker continued: "I think we are going to see if there is a deal to be had.
"If the Iranians are serious about giving up their nuclear ambitions and ending the killing of their people, and if they are, then maybe there's a deal. If not, then obviously the consequences are pretty dire for them."
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Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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