WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan within the next two days, according to media reports.
"Something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there (Pakistan)," Trump told a New York Post reporter.
"It's more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job," Trump said, referring to Pakistani Field Marshal General Asim Munir, the country's chief of army staff, who attended the previous talks between the U.S. and Iranian negotiators on Saturday.
Washington has proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran's nuclear activities and Iran, for its part, has countered with a proposal to suspend its nuclear program for up to five years during their stalled talks in Pakistan on Saturday, according to a report from The New York Times on Monday.
Washington is not seeking a permanent ban on Iran's uranium enrichment, a compromise that would allow Tehran to argue it has not permanently relinquished its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to produce nuclear fuel, the newspaper cited sources familiar with the talks as saying.
Other issues looming over the negotiations include restoring free passage in the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran's support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, said the report.
Earlier on Monday, Trump said his administration received a call from Iran on Monday morning, claiming Iran "would like to make a deal very badly" but also signaling Washington's eagerness to reach a deal to end the conflict, stressing that the sticking point in talks with Iran "was over nuclear" and a priority for the United States is to retrieve Iran's enriched uranium. ■
