Iraq News Now

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.”