Pompeo says U.S. wants to talk with Iran, but won't relieve pressure

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said that the Trump administration is prepared for unconditional discussions with Iran.

The two countries have been mired in escalating tensions ever since 2017 when the U.S. pulled out of an international pact in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear capacity. Those tensions have created fears of a potential conflict, especially in the Middle East and Europe. Pompeo said that while the U.S. wants to sit down and solve the issue diplomatically, the White House will not relent in trying to pressure Iran to change its "malign" behavior in the Middle East.

Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis with whom Pompeo was meeting in Bellinzona, Switzerland, and whose country has served as an intermediary between the U.S. and Iran in the past, reiterated the seriousness of the situation. "We are fully aware, both parties are fully aware, of this tension," he said. "Switzerland, of course, wishes there is no escalation, no escalation to violence. Both parties are now increasing the pressure, and for the rest of us that is a matter of worry, but we cannot do anything unless we get a mandate from both parties."

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Iranian president Hassan Rouhani previously said on Saturday that Tehran would be willing to negotiate, as well, if the U.S. shows Iran respect. The country won't, Rouhani said, be "bullied" into talks.