US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the United States wants a peaceful resolution to tensions with Iran.
However, he added, a peaceful resolution is up to the Islamic Republic.
“We want a peaceful resolution with the Islamic Republic of Iran, we’re hoping we can get that way. In the end, it will be up to the Iranians to make that decision,” Pompeo told a news conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, according to Reuters.
“We hope we get the opportunity to negotiate with them and get an outcome that’s good for both them and for the United States,” he added.
Pompeo’s comments come in the wake of attempts to organize a face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in an attempt to calm tensions which have escalated since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last May.
Trump last week said he would prefer not to meet with Rouhani. The Iranian President himself made clear that he will not meet Trump unless all sanctions against Tehran are unilaterally lifted by the US.
On Tuesday, during Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly, he accused the Iranian government of a "fanatical quest" for nuclear weapons.
Rouhani later gave an interview to Fox News, in which he said that America, not Iran, is the key supporter of Middle East terrorism.
The Iranian President also claimed that Trump has been misguided in his criticisms of Iran.