U.S. President Donald Trump tempered his threatening rhetoric toward Iran Tuesday, two days after he sent an all-caps warning of future conflict.
Addressing the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Trump took credit for pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear accord but said his administration stands ready for Iran to come back to the negotiating table.
"We're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," he said.
While U.S. intelligence agencies maintained that Iran complied with the Obama-era agreement to halt its nuclear program, Trump had complained that the deal did not do enough to curb Iran's malign influence in the region.
Iran on Monday dismissed Trump's angry warning that Tehran risked dire consequences "the likes of which few throughout history have suffered before" if it made threats against the United States.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis declined to directly answer a question about whether he was concerned that Trump's rhetoric might ratchet up tensions in the region, increasing the chances of miscalculation.
But Mattis, speaking at a news conference in California, listed his many concerns about Iranian actions in the Middle East, including Tehran's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria's civil war and for Houthi militants fighting the internationally recognized government in Yemen.
"It's time for Iran to shape up and show responsibility as a responsible nation. It cannot continue to show irresponsibility as a revolutionary organization that is intent on exporting terrorism, exporting disruption, across the region," said Mattis, a retired Marine general.
"So I think the president was making very clear that they're on the wrong track," he said.
Trump also highlighted part of his agreement with North Korea's Kim Jong Un last month to transfer some remains of Americans killed during the Korean war back to the U.S. as an example of his support for the nation's veterans as his new veterans affairs secretary begins his work.
Speaking in Kansas City, he emphasized efforts to help more veterans see private doctors, known as the "Choice" program. He said he made the trip "to pay tribute to men and women who make freedom possible."
"Veterans Choice has been passed," Trump boasted to applause, promising it would reduce wait times for medical care.
Newly appointed Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie has insisted that he will not privatize the VA despite concerns raised by Democrats. Wilkie accompanied Trump to Kansas City.
Trump noted that Wilkie was confirmed Monday by an 86-9 vote, joking that the Democratic lawmakers voting now are the "super lefts who are running against me in 2.5 years."
