US President Donald Trump has said that he would be involved "indirectly" in talks between Iran and the US over Tehran's nuclear programme set to begin on Tuesday in Geneva, adding he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal.
"I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they'll be very important," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday.
Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the US deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
The US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, US officials have told Reuters.
Asked about the prospects for a deal, Trump said Iran sought tough negotiations but learned the consequences of such a hardened stance last summer when the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump suggested Iranians were motivated this time to negotiate.
"I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump said.
Prior to the US joining Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites in June, Iran-US nuclear talks had stalled over Washington's demand that Tehran forgo enrichment on its soil, which the US views as a pathway to an Iranian nuclear weapon.
Iran's civil defense organisation on Monday held a chemical defense drill in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone to strengthen preparedness for potential chemical incidents in the energy hub located in southern Iran.
Indirect nuclear diplomacy
Iran and the US resumed their indirect nuclear diplomacy in Muscat on Feb. 6 under Omani mediation, nearly eight months after talks were suspended following an Israeli attack on Iran that sparked a 12-day war.
Assessments from both sides were positive following the latest round of talks, which took place amid heightened tensions due to a US military buildup in the Persian Gulf region.
Uranium enrichment remains a key point of contention. Iran demands the lifting of Western economic sanctions in exchange for restricting its nuclear activities.
The US, meanwhile, has called on Iran to fully halt enrichment and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad.
Washington has also sought to expand the scope of talks to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups in the region, while Tehran has repeatedly said it will negotiate only on its nuclear programme.
