Trump confident of Pakistan-India talks, ready for mediation

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday again boasted about his role in stopping the recent Pakistan-India war and said his administration was working on making them sit together for dialogue soon.

Trump insisted he would bring India and Pakistan to the table together after recent fighting, saying he can “solve anything”.

At the same time, he again offered his services as mediator to resolve the long-standing Kashmir dispute and said he could do anything to achieve the goal.

Talking to reporters at Oval Office, Trump said the US used trade as a tool to stop the spread of war between two nuclear-armed nations. A Pakistani delegation would arrive in Washington for trade talks, he added.

Asked whether there remained plans for talks between India and Pakistan a month after the ceasefire, Trump said: “We’re going to get those two getting together, you know?”

“I told them, India and Pakistan – they have a long-time rivalry over Kashmir – I said, I can solve anything. I’ll be your arbitrator,” he told reporters.

Previously, Trump had urged both Pakistan and India to move towards trade, instead of threatening the use of nuclear weapons – a position he has reiterated repeatedly.

Read more: Trump asks Pakistan and India to talk trade, not nukes

During his visit to the United States, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also urged the Trump administration to force India opt for dialogue.

Read more: Bilawal wants US to persuade New Delhi for Pakistan-India talks

Reiterating Pakistan’s policy, he said Islamabad was committed to a sustainable peace in the region and hoped that India won’t sabotage the US efforts aimed at achieving the goal.

IRAN

Meanwhile, Trump also talked about the Iranian nuclear programme and the Israel’s plan to strike Tehran’s installation.

US President Donald Trump called Thursday on Israel not to attack Iran, saying a deal on its nuclear program remained close, but Tehran defiantly vowed to increase its output of enriched uranium ahead of new talks.

Trump acknowledged that an Israeli strike on Iran “may very well happen,” although he stopped short of calling a strike imminent, and said the risk of “massive conflict” led the United States to draw down staff in the region.

“We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement,” Trump told reporters.

Trump again described himself as a man of peace.

“I’d love to avoid the conflict. Iran’s going to have to negotiate a little bit tougher — meaning they’re going to have to give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now,” he said.