WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States had to make a meaningful deal with Iran, citing good talks with the Middle Eastern country.
"Good talks are being had. It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise bad things happen," Trump told the first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington.
Indirect discussions on Tuesday in Geneva between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, were aimed at heading off a mounting crisis between the two countries.
The U.S. wants Iran to give up its nuclear program. Tehran has adamantly refused and denies it is trying to develop an atomic weapon.
Iran is expected to submit a written proposal on how to address U.S. concerns during the Geneva talks, a senior U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Katharine Jackson;Editing by David Ljunggren)
