Tensions continue to rise between Iran and the US. Last week, John Bolton, the US national security adviser, warned that Donald Trump’s administration planned to impose “maximum pressure” on Iran. Even the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, who is known to favour engagement with the west, has emphasised that his country would increase its military readiness, unveiling a new fighter jet.

Tehran is understandably furious with the US president for withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal despite any evidence of Iranian cheating. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he regrets negotiating with the US. But threats and escalation will not serve Iran well. A better approach would be to consider Mr Trump’s offer (via tweet) to meet Mr Rouhani, any time and without conditions. The Iranians should put aside their distrust — they have nothing to lose and it is possible that a new “pause-for-pause” agreement could benefit both sides.

Why is Mr Trump dangling the prospect of talks without any conditions after trashing the nuclear agreement and surrounding himself with hardliners such as Mr Bolton, who have long advocated regime change in Iran? Perhaps the president wants to compensate for his lack of progress with North Korea, which continues to develop a nuclear weapons programme despite Mr Trump’s claims of diplomatic success there. Perhaps Mr Trump simply wants to be unpredictable. Or maybe he believes he can negotiate a better deal with Iran than former president Barack Obama did — a highly unlikely scenario.