Trump administration's goal is 'deterrence, not war' with Iran, says Pentagon chief

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on Tuesday, ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the US under current circumstances. "Today's circumstances are not suitable for negotiations at all," he said.

Acting United States Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan (L) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo give a statement after a closed-door briefing on Iran in the auditorium of the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, DC on May 21, 2019. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP)

New Delhi: The Trump administration is not seeking to start a war with Iran but to deter the country, the US defence chief said. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan was addressing media after exiting a closed-door meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "This is about deterrence, not about war. We are not about going to war,"AFP quoted him as saying. He said that the focus of the government was to prevent Iranian miscalculation and it did not want the situation to escalate. The briefing however did not satisfy many of the democrats, who believe that the heightened tensiobs are the results Trump administration’s aggressive stance. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the US under current circumstances. "Today's circumstances are not suitable for negotiations at all," he said. Despite favouring diplomacy on disputed issues, Rouhani said he is currently opposed to any negotiations with the US, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. He also appealed unity and consistency among Iranians to overcome the economic challenges imposed by Washington. US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Iran international nuclear deal in May 2018 and re-imposed energy and financial sanctions against the Islamic republic. Washington seeks to seal a new nuclear deal with Iran to further curb its nuclear programme and stop ballistic missile development.