Iran's President Says US Must Lift All Sanctions Before Meeting with Trump

JERUSALEM, Israel - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered the United States on Tuesday to lift all sanctions before he agrees to meet with US officials. His comments came one day after President Donald Trump said he is open to meeting with Rouhani in the coming weeks to avoid a showdown between the two countries.

Rouhani said Tehran was ready to hold talks with the US, but the first step "is to retreat from sanctions."

“You must retreat from all illegal, unjust and wrong sanctions against the nation of Iran," Rouhani said in a speech aired on state television.

"Without the US's withdrawal from sanctions, we will not witness any positive development," Rouhani added.

The US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord last May, and imposed heavy economic sanctions on the regime due to its support for terrorism and determination to develop its ballistic missile program and nuclear program.  

Trump told world leaders during the G7 Summit in Biarrtiz, France on Monday that he is open to meeting Rouhani soon "if the circumstances were correct.”

"I think he's going to want to meet. I think Iran wants to get this situation straightened out," Trump added.

"At a given point in time, there will have to be a meeting between the American and Iranian president," Trump said.

Trump on Monday also suggested he may be willing to offer Iran "a short-term line of credit or loan" to help salvage its failing economy.

"We're talking about a letter of credit," he said. "It would be from numerous countries."

If Trump and Rouhani met, it would be the first time a US president met with an Iranian leader since the 1979 Iranian revolution.