WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran appears to be slowly approaching a situation in which talks could be held days after US President Donald Trump left the door open to a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani at the UN General Assembly in New York, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday. He stressed that Russia's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to world peace.
"It seems somehow that Iran is slowly approaching a situation where we can talk, and we hope it will go that way," Esber said at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
He explained that Iran is our biggest challenge in the Gulf region, adding that all means of pressure used against Iran aims to bring it back to the negotiating table.
He added that Russia's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to world peace, and that the United States is committed to its commitments to NATO, but that NATO members must increase military spending.
He stressed that «the administration of President Donald Trump is aware of the seriousness of Russian intervention in the US presidential election, and we are working hard to deter this during the upcoming elections». He called for greater European focus in addressing what he called the growing security and economic threat from China and Russia.
"It is clear that Russia and China want to undermine the international system by obstructing economic, diplomatic and security decisions of other countries."
"The United States faces this challenge directly, but if we want to preserve the world we have all built for decades of common sacrifice, we must all come to the rescue." He added that the two countries are developing their capabilities in the areas of space and the Internet.
Esber spoke of concerns about China, from the way it uses its economic power to stealing technology. "I would like to warn my friends in Europe," he said. "This is not a problem in a distant land that will not touch you."
"They just announced that they (Iranians) will continue to do more research and development of their nuclear military systems," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told local radio during a visit to Kansas. "This is unacceptable." Pompeo expressed "confidence" that a diplomatic solution could be found. "For months, President Donald Trump has said he is ready to meet with Iranian leaders without preconditions," he said. France is mediating to create conditions for a meeting between Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani at the end of September at the General Assembly. Of the United Nations.
"We are very clear about the outcome we are seeking in the event of talks," he said, reiterating his condemnation of Iran's "terrorist campaigns" in the world and its "unacceptable" ballistic missile program.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said yesterday that Britain would always help the United States on the path to talks with Iran if an agreement could be reached, but warned that Iran should be judged by actions rather than words.
"Actions are louder than words, so I think we will treat them with their actions, not their words," Wallace told a news conference with Mark Esper. "But if there is an agreement that can be concluded, we will of course always help the United States on this path, because I believe that peace and stability in this region is the most important thing," Wallace said.
A senior US defense official said that Esber and his French counterpart will discuss today how to coordinate between the French and US naval forces to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media reported that Tehran announced yesterday that it had taken another step to reduce its obligations under the 2015 agreement in response to the re-imposition of US sanctions.
Asked about Iran's decision to start developing centrifuges to accelerate uranium enrichment, the US official said: "We still believe we need to tighten our sanctions to the maximum extent possible."
Germany commented on Iran's announcement that it had developed centrifuges by saying it was not too late for Iran to change course. The German government called on Iran to return to full compliance with the terms of the nuclear deal. A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said in Berlin yesterday that Germany was concerned about Iran's announcement that more clauses in the agreement would be canceled. "This declaration is not the right signal under the current efforts to calm down."
The spokesman said that there is a desire to maintain the nuclear agreement, adding that Iran must therefore return to full fulfillment of its obligations, pointing out that it is not too late for Iran to leave «those rugged areas» to which it went by itself, stressing that it can be reversed Actions initiated at any time.
The comments came on the back of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's announcement that his country would suspend all its nuclear research commitments from Friday as the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal and imposed further sanctions against Tehran.
Zarif informed the EU's representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, in a speech.
In Paris, the French presidency announced yesterday that "dialogue is continuing" on Iran's nuclear file after a telephone conversation between Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump.
The Elysee said the French and US presidents discussed "continuing the regular exchanges they have had in recent months" on Iran.
The conversation took place against the backdrop of a new Iranian-American tension, while Tehran will announce today details of the new reduction of restrictions approved in 2015 over its nuclear activities.
The call comes 10 days after the end of the G7 summit in Biarritz, where they discussed a possible meeting between Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.