The White House refuted a report Saturday night that the Obama administration intends to hold one-on-one talks with Iran about its suspected nuclear weapons program after the U.S. presidential election.
“It’s not true that the United States and Iran have agreed to one-on-one talks or any meeting after the American elections,” National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement, adding that the U.S. has said “from the outset that we would be prepared to meet bilaterally.”
The New York Times reported Saturday that the administration and Iran have agreed to hold one-one-one negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, with the U.S. agreeing to Iran’s insistence on waiting until after the election so the Iranians know with whom they will be bargaining.
Some critics of President Obama have speculated in recent days that the administration is working on an “October surprise” involving Iran, following weeks of negative news stories about the administration’s handling of the terrorist attack that killed four Americans at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has accused Mr. Obama of failing to take a strong enough stand against Iran, and is campaigning on a theme that the president’s foreign policy is “unraveling,” especially in the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging Mr. Obama publicly to get more aggressive with Iran. Mr. Obama has said he will do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, and has not ruled out a possible military strike.
“It’s not true that the United States and Iran have agreed to one-on-one talks or any meeting after the American elections,” National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement, adding that the U.S. has said “from the outset that we would be prepared to meet bilaterally.”
The New York Times reported Saturday that the administration and Iran have agreed to hold one-one-one negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, with the U.S. agreeing to Iran’s insistence on waiting until after the election so the Iranians know with whom they will be bargaining.
Some critics of President Obama have speculated in recent days that the administration is working on an “October surprise” involving Iran, following weeks of negative news stories about the administration’s handling of the terrorist attack that killed four Americans at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has accused Mr. Obama of failing to take a strong enough stand against Iran, and is campaigning on a theme that the president’s foreign policy is “unraveling,” especially in the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging Mr. Obama publicly to get more aggressive with Iran. Mr. Obama has said he will do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, and has not ruled out a possible military strike.
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