Iran declines direct negotiations with US following Trump's letter
Tehran has dismissed the possibility of direct negotiations with Washington following President Donald Trump's recent letter proposing discussions regarding Iran's nuclear program. President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that US actions have...
TroibNews 
Tehran has dismissed the possibility of direct negotiations with Washington following President Donald Trump's recent letter proposing discussions regarding Iran's nuclear program. President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that US actions have damaged the trust between the two countries and that this trust must be restored first.
“The issue of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected. But it has been mentioned that the path of indirect negotiations is open,” Pezeshkian remarked during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
In early March, Trump disclosed that he had sent a communication to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suggesting a reopening of talks. The US had unilaterally exited the previous international agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
Following this withdrawal, Washington reinstated sanctions against Tehran, which led the Islamic Republic to gradually reduce its commitments under the 2015 agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“Iran has never avoided negotiations, [but the US] incompliance has created problems in this path, which should be compensated for, and trust should be rebuilt. It is behavior of the Americans that determines the course of negotiations,” Pezeshkian stated. He added that a response had been transmitted to the US through Oman and was already received in Washington.
On Sunday, Trump issued a warning to Iran, suggesting “bombing” might occur if an agreement isn’t finalized. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he declared to NBC. He also mentioned the possibility of imposing “secondary tariffs” on Iran should diplomatic efforts fail.
Multiple American news outlets, including CNN and Axios, previously reported that Trump had established a two-month deadline for Iran to negotiate a new deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned last week that the US administration was prepared to take military action against Iran if diplomatic initiatives faltered. This prompted Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, to affirm that Tehran is unafraid of threats and capable of retaliating against any adversary.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
“The issue of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected. But it has been mentioned that the path of indirect negotiations is open,” Pezeshkian remarked during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
In early March, Trump disclosed that he had sent a communication to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suggesting a reopening of talks. The US had unilaterally exited the previous international agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
Following this withdrawal, Washington reinstated sanctions against Tehran, which led the Islamic Republic to gradually reduce its commitments under the 2015 agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“Iran has never avoided negotiations, [but the US] incompliance has created problems in this path, which should be compensated for, and trust should be rebuilt. It is behavior of the Americans that determines the course of negotiations,” Pezeshkian stated. He added that a response had been transmitted to the US through Oman and was already received in Washington.
On Sunday, Trump issued a warning to Iran, suggesting “bombing” might occur if an agreement isn’t finalized. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he declared to NBC. He also mentioned the possibility of imposing “secondary tariffs” on Iran should diplomatic efforts fail.
Multiple American news outlets, including CNN and Axios, previously reported that Trump had established a two-month deadline for Iran to negotiate a new deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned last week that the US administration was prepared to take military action against Iran if diplomatic initiatives faltered. This prompted Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, to affirm that Tehran is unafraid of threats and capable of retaliating against any adversary.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
