But Trump, speaking at a G7 summit in the French resort of Biarritz, ruled out lifting economic sanctions to compensate for losses suffered by Iran.
Trump told reporters it was realistic to envisage a meeting between him and President Hassan Rouhani in coming weeks, describing Iran as a country of “tremendous potential”.
“I have a good feeling. I think he (Rouhani) is going to want to meet and get their situation straightened out. They are hurting badly,” Trump said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, host of the G7 summit, told the same news conference that Rouhani told him he would be open to meeting Trump. Macron said he hoped a summit between the two could happen in coming weeks. Trump and Rouhani head to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Anything agreed at a Trump-Rouhani encounter would be subject to approval by Iran’s top decision maker, the fiercely anti-American Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
European leaders have struggled to calm the deepening confrontation between Tehran and Washington since Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Macron has spent the summer trying to create conditions that would bring the sides back to the negotiating table.
“What I hope is that in coming weeks, based on these talks, we can manage to see a summit between President Rouhani and President Trump,” Macron said, adding he believed if they met a deal could be struck.
Macron’s efforts took a surprise turn on Sunday when Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is under U.S. sanctions, flew to Biarritz.
Some experts expressed skepticism that Rouhani would meet Trump without at least a suspension in U.S. sanctions aimed at slashing Iran’s oil exports – Tehran’s main source of revenue – to zero. But one said Macron’s plan appeared to include financial relief for Tehran that does not involve relaxing U.S. sanctions.