No Change in Trump's Policy on Iran, U.S. Officials Tell Israel

No Change in Trump's Policy on Iran, U.S. Officials Tell Israel
Administration officials reassure Israel that despite the American president's softened rhetoric on Iran in recent days, White House policy remains as firm as ever
Noa Landau 
Senior United States government officials told Israel Tuesday that there is no change in U.S. policy on Iran, despite recent statements from American President Donald Trump on his willingness to meet with Iran. 
An Israeli government official said Tuesday that Israel is in constant communication with the U.S.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been courting the Iranian people on social media in an effort to convince them overthrowing the regime is in their interest. 
Trump said Monday that he was willing to meet with Iran's leadership "anytime" and "with no preconditions."
Speaking later on CNBC, U.S. Secratary of State Mike Pompeo said: "If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes to how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, agree that it's worthwhile to enter into a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he is prepared to sit down and have a conversation with them."
Iran responded to Trump Tuesday, setting two preconditions to a possible meeting. Trump would have to agree to return to the internationally-backed nuclear deal with Iran and also would have to suspend new sanctions against Tehran before any talks, Hamid Abutalebi, an aide to Iranian President Hassan Rohani, said on Twitter. 
"Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America," Abutalebi tweeted in Farsi.
Different sentiments were also voiced Tuesday by senior Iranian parliament member Ali Motahari, who said now is not a good time for Iran to negotiate with the United States.
“If Trump had not withdrawn from (Iran’s) nuclear deal (with world powers) and had not imposed sanctions on Iran, there would be no problem with negotiations with America,” Motahari, the deputy speaker of parliament, was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.
Noa Landau
Noa Landau is diplomatic correspondent for Haaretz. Prior to this, she served as head of the news department and editor of Haaretz English Edition. She is also a member of the newspaper’s editorial board.

Before joining Haaretz, Landau worked as a news reporter and editor for Galei-Tzahal, Channel 10 and Maariv. She was a 2016 fellow at The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, where she studied the rise of gag orders in Israel. Got a diplomatic scoop?