Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday dismissed the suggestion of direct talks with the US under Donald Trump’s presidency about its nuclear program.
Pezeshkian: US must demonstrate trustworthiness after broken pledges
“Our response to the US president’s letter, sent via Oman, was to decline direct negotiations, but we remain open to indirect talks,” President Pezeshkian stated during a televised meeting with his cabinet.
“We do not shy away from dialogue; it’s the dishonoring of previous commitments that has hindered progress,” Pezeshkian added. “The US needs to prove it can build trust.”
In 2018, during Trump’s first term, he withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Trump threatens ‘bombing’ without a new Iran nuclear pact
Trump had sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, urging for a new nuclear deal with the US. He reiterated threats towards Iran without such an agreement.
In a conversation with NBC News, Trump stated, “If Iran doesn’t agree to a deal, there will be bombing on a scale they have never witnessed before.”
Trump’s administration has a “maximum pressure” policy, focusing on economic and political sanctions against Iran to isolate it internationally.
Editor: Roshni Majumdar
