Trump says he is ready for direct talks with Iran

US President Donald Trump has said he is ready to hold direct talks with Iran, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue amid the ongoing conflict, 24NewsHD TV reported.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had always been willing to negotiate directly with Iran.

The US president also commented on rising fuel prices, rejecting the view that the Strait of Hormuz was now the main reason behind the increase.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump blamed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries and the closure of refineries in Democratic-led US states, including California, for putting additional pressure on fuel prices. 

He also said he believed Iran was responsible for the recent incident involving a FlyDubai aircraft, although investigations into the incident are continuing.

Trump also addressed the withdrawal of US bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford in Britain.

He said the aircraft had been brought back to the United States because of a specific security threat.

The Pentagon confirmed that the US bombers had been redeployed from the British base following security concerns.

Trump’s comments come as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over how to end the conflict.

Iran has previously said it has received a US response to its proposals for ending the war, although details of the response have not been made public.