White House gives conflicting answers on talks with Iran

The White House gave conflicting answers on whether the United States has begun direct talks with Iran over rejoining an Obama administration-negotiated nuclear agreement that Donald Trump exited as president, suggesting first that Washington and Tehran had already begun communicating.

Asked whether Iran would need to come into compliance before the U.S. would speak with them, press secretary Jen Psaki replied Thursday, “I think we’ve spoken to them” — before seeming to backtrack, reiterating the position that if Iran comes into compliance with the Obama-era deal, the U.S. will do the same.