Iran has officially rejected the idea of direct negotiations with the United States in response to a letter U.S. President Donald Trump sent earlier this month about Iran’s advancing nuclear program, CBS reported.
This is the first official Iranian response to Trump’s letter.
While the Iranian regime has rejected direct diplomacy, they have not “closed all doors” on diplomatic discussions between the two countries.
Kamal Kharrazi, a senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said on March 27 that Iran is “ready for indirect talks with the United States to evaluate the other side, present its conditions and make the appropriate decision.”
During his first term, Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which offered sanctions relief in exchange for Iran dialing back its nuclear activity for 10 years. Since then, the Islamic Republic has significantly increased its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, enough to build six nuclear bombs.
Trump, who has emphasized a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, has recently called for a new deal, stating that it will be “a lot better” than potential military action against the regime.
“The other alternative is you have to do something because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in an interview with the Fox Business Network channel.
