Trump: US, Iran to hold direct nuclear talks on Saturday

President Trump said the U.S. will hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program, saying a meeting is set for Saturday.

He made his remarks alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting that was arranged on short notice.

“We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. It’ll go on Saturday,” Trump said from the Oval Office.

Trump said he’s focusing on diplomacy over threatening military action. Trump, in his first term, withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran that put verifiable limits on its nuclear program but that critics said did not completely eliminate the risk of its weapons program.

Iran has accelerated its weapons programs, with U.S. officials warning it has knowledge on building a bomb and enough material to fuel numerous bombs, more than it had when it was in the previous nuclear deal, called the JCPOA.

“We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen,” Trump said.