Iran ‘ready’ for indirect talks with US, Khamenei advisor says
Iran is “ready” for indirect talks with the United States, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Thursday.
Tehran “is ready for indirect negotiations in order to assess the other side, present its own conditions, and make a suitable decision,” Kamal Kharrazi was quoted as saying by the state-affiliated Tasnim news agency.
On March 7, President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Khamenei, calling for new nuclear talks and warning of possible military action if Iran refuses. The letter was delivered to Tehran on March 12 by UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash.
Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, has dismissed Trump’s outreach, accusing him of trying to mislead global public opinion by portraying the US as open to talks and Iran as the obstacle.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last week that Trump’s letter was “more of a threat” but acknowledged it could open the door to some opportunities. He added that Tehran would respond soon.
Kharrazi, a former foreign minister, accused the Trump administration of waging a “psychological war” against Iran.
“What we see today in the behavior of the US government is a psychological war – pushing a ‘war or negotiations’ narrative through conflicting messages from American officials,” he said.
Kharrazi said that the US believes it can “drag” Iran into talks with a pre-determined outcome.
On Monday, Araghchi said that Tehran was open to indirect talks with Washington, adding that direct negotiations were off the table as long as Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy remains in place.
The policy, reinstated by Trump on his return to the White House in January, saw him reimpose sweeping sanctions on Iran during his first term after abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The JCPOA had offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
Western countries, including the US, have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons – an allegation Tehran denies.
