US President Donald Trump confirmed
Friday that Sen. Rand Paul is involved in diplomatic talks with Iran, referring
to the country as “nothing but trouble.”
The Kentucky Republican has long
been an opponent of U.S. intervention in Iran. POLITICO reported earlier
this week that he asked for Trump’s blessing to arrange a meeting with Iranian
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in hopes of avoiding further conflict with the
country.
Trump had previously said he
was unaware of plans to include Paul in talks with Iran. But he acknowledged
the senator's role Friday in response to a question about the administration’s
plan to calm tensions following Iran's seizure of a British oil tanker in the
Strait of Hormuz.
“Rand asked me if he could get
involved,” Trump said told reporters. “The answer is yes.”
This week, Zarif criticized U.S.
foreign policies and told reporters during his visit to the United Nations
headquarters in New York that the onus is on the United States to ease tensions
with Iran. He said Iran would be open to more enhanced inspections of its
nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting sanctions on the country.
“It goes to show you I was right
about Iran,” Trump said. He called President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with
Iran “ridiculous.”
The president also called the U.K. a
“very good ally” and vowed to use its diplomatic relationship with the United
States to help facilitate talks.
“We always have an alliance with the
U.K.,” Trump said. “We'll talk to the U.K. We have no written agreement, but we
have an agreement.”