“It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court,” he said.

Trump said Saturday’s talks with Iran would be at a very high level but declined to elaborate. He also declined to say where the talks would take place but held out the possibility that a deal could be reached.

The US and Iran held indirect talks during former president Joe Biden’s term but they made little if any progress. The last known direct negotiations between the two governments were under then-president Barack Obama, who spearheaded the 2015 international nuclear deal that Trump later abandoned.

Nuclear deal or military action

Iranian officials said at the time the country would not be bullied into negotiations.

Iran’s nuclear agenda

Tehran says its nuclear program is wholly for civilian energy purposes.