Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) and U.S. President Trump Photo: Jim Watson/Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says he's open to meeting with President Trump, but only if crippling U.S. sanctions are lifted first, reports AP.
Why it matters: The statement comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said at the G7 that he plans to arrange a meeting between the two leaders in the coming weeks. Rouhani yesterday expressed interest in meeting Trump, but returned today to the insistence that the U.S. remove its crippling economic sanctions if it wants to de-escalate tensions.
"If someone intends to make it as just a photo op with Rouhani, that is not possible. If I knew that going to a meeting and visiting a person would help my country’s development and resolve the problems of the people, I would not miss it"— Rouhani
The big picture: At his press conference with Macron, Trump said there's a "good chance"' he and Rouhani would meet soon, but didn't mention lifting sanctions. His "maximum pressure" Iran policy has received international criticism as European countries work to salvage the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.
What's next: If Trump and Rouhani do meet, it'll be the first face-to-face meeting between an Iranian and American president since the Iran hostage crisis nearly 40 years ago, per the New York Times. Barack Obama spoke with Rouhani by phone in 2013.