Trump Reiterates Willingness to Meet Rouhani

US President Donald Trump has reiterated a willingness to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. The statement comes despite Iran’s position that no talks would be held with the US until economic sanctions are lifted. Nevertheless, analysts believe that a diplomatic breakthrough could be in the making. Iran’s economy has been hit strongly by sanctions re-imposed by President Trump in the wake of his withdrawal last year from the 2015 nuclear deal. In this respect, Iranian oil exports have plummeted by over 80 percent, pushing Tehran to demand that European parties to the accord devise a mechanism to provide it with financial relief. This, however, has not yet materialized, leading the Islamic Republic to reduce its commitments to the nuclear agreement.