In what comes as Iran's first response following US President Donald Trump's letter sent to the country's supreme leader, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said that the Islamic Republic has rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. President Pezeshkian stressed Iran's response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington.
'They must prove they can build trust': Pezeshkian on US
“We don't avoid talks; it's the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,” Pezeshkian said in televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting. “They must prove that they can build trust," the Iranian leader added.
Now, as the US conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Iran's nuclear program remains on the table.
The White House, the State Department, and other officials offered no immediate reaction to the announcement.
Since Trump's election and the resumption of his “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran, Iran's rial currency has gone into a freefall. Pezeshkian had left open talks up until Iran's 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came down hard on Trump in February and warned talks “are not intelligent, wise or honourable" with his administration.
What was Trump's letter about?
Trump earlier announced his letter to the Iranian leadership in a television interview, as he said, "I've written them a letter saying, I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing.”
Trump's letter came as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels of 60 per cent purity — something only done by atomic-armed nations.
What's reason behind Iran's reluctance?
The last time Trump tried to send a letter to Khamenei, through the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2019, the supreme leader mocked the effort. Iran's reluctance to deal with Trump likely also takes root in his ordering the attack that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020.
Moreover, the United States has alleged that Iran plotted to assassinate Trump prior to his election in November, which Tehran has rejected.
(With inputs from AP)
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