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Trump backs Pete Hegseth amid renewed tensions with Iran — live

The Guardian (US) · back to the audit
Donald Trump has told the crowd at General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan, that the US has been having 'very friendly' talks with Iran. 'You can't bribe them. You've got to beat them, and we'll beat the hell out of them. But we'll see how it turns out. Right now, there are very friendly negotiations going on.' Trump also claimed to reporters on Air Force One that Iran requested a meeting 'through their surrogates and directly.' 'They want to meet, and we're meeting. Without what we did, they wouldn't even be talking to us. They would not have requested the meeting if we were doing poorly. The only reason they want to meet is because we've been hitting them very hard.'