White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien has said that “it is possible” Trump will cut a deal with the Taliban this year but that even if a deal can’t be struck, the president is still poised to reduce troops in Afghanistan.

“whether it’s with a deal or without a deal, the United States will reduce its military footprint in Afghanistan,” he told Axios in an exclusive interview.

Asked whether he thought Trump would strike a deal with the Taliban before the election, O’Brien said, “I don’t judge things based on when the election’s going to take place, but I think it is possible that there’ll be a deal this year.”

“We were very close to doing a deal last year, and the Taliban felt that they could increase pressure on the United States by blowing up a bunch of people, including an American, right before some critical end-game talks. This president does not respond to that type of tactic,” he added.

In a separate report, Russian Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that following killing of a top Iranian general in US airstrike and escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Tehran won’t cooperate with the United States on regional issues and in particular in the Afghan peace process.

Earlier, Afghan lawmakers had warned that tensions between Washington and Tehran could have negative impact on the situation in Afghanistan.

Arezo News Website – Humayun Salimi