Trump and Macron: We share objectives on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Iran wants to engage in negotiations and he would be prepared for such talks, as French President Emmanuel insisted Paris and Washington share the same objectives on Tehran.

Macron and Trump both stressed they do not want Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Macron said the sides also want to reduce Iran's ballistic missile programme, "contain" Tehran's regional activity in the Middle East and achieve peace in the region.

Ahead of a bilateral meeting after World War II commemorations in Normandy, the two leaders tried to sidestep their feud over the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump exited unilaterally last year, despite efforts in Europe to salvage the agreement.

Iran remains in compliance with the deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency said recently.

Macron said the debates between the two nations are only on "technicalities," stressing the need to open negotiations with Tehran.

"I don't think we have differences over Iran," Trump said, referring to Macron, before saying about Iran: "They are failing as a nation. I don't want them to fail as a nation. I understand they want to talk and if they want to talk that's fine we'll talk."

A source in Macron's office said the two men discussed the Iran file for "20 to 30 minutes" in a "good atmosphere."

Trump's stated a desire to strike a deal with Iran at this "critical moment" was an opportunity for France to create the conditions for "de-escalation and useful discussion," the source said.

The source expressed optimism about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's expected visit to Iran, announced earlier Thursday in Tokyo.

Abe would be going to Iran with a "shared objective" to find a means of having positive discussions, the source said.    (dpa)