Donald Trump: Iran Must ‘Change its Tune’ Before I Meet with Them

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would not meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during the United Nations General Assembly.

“Iran has acted very badly… Iran has to change its tune before I meet with them,” he said to reporters prior to his speech to the United Nations.
He said that he was interested in having a good relationship with Iran, but cited their increasingly hostile comments against the United States.

Trump also spoke about a potential meeting earlier in the morning

“Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani,” he wrote on Twitter. “Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!”

The president plans to chair the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran this week, taking a tougher position on the regime than his predecessor.

“No matter where I go in the Middle East, I see Iran is behind it,” he said in September. “So we just can’t let that happen.”

But Trump appeared open to meet with the Iranian leaders, voicing his interest during a meeting with Amir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

“Whether they want to talk or not, that’s up to them, not up to me,” he said. “I will always be available. But it doesn’t matter one way or the other. We’ll see what happens.”