Without seeing Trump’s letter, Iran’s Khamenei firmly rejects talks with US

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei strongly rejected talks with the United States on Wednesday, the same day Tehran received a letter from President Donald Trump.

Earlier on Wednesday, UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash delivered a letter from Trump to Iran during a visit to Tehran. Last week, Trump said he had written to Khamenei, urging new nuclear talks while warning of possible military action if Tehran refused.

Khamenei, who said he had not personally seen Trump’s letter, dismissed the US president’s call for negotiations as a “deception of global public opinion,” insisting that talks with Washington would only worsen Iran’s position.

“The fact that the US president says he is ready to negotiate with Iran… and claims that he sent a letter, which I have yet to receive… is a deception of global public opinion,” Khamenei said.

He added that Washington’s call for talks was an attempt to portray itself as the reasonable party while making Tehran seem unreasonable for refusing to engage.

“So why do we refuse to negotiate? This same person (Trump) tore up the JCPOA,” Khamenei said, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which Trump withdrew from during his first term. “How can we negotiate with this person?

“In negotiations, one must be sure that the other party will fulfill their commitments. When we know that they will not keep their word, what’s the point?”

Khamenei stressed that talks with the Trump administration, which he accused of making excessive demands, would not lead to the lifting of US sanctions and would only make matters worse for Iran.

“Negotiating with the current US administration would not lead to the removal of the sanctions. It would tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran. Things would get worse,” he said.

Khamenei also said if Iran wanted to develop nuclear weapons, the US would not be able to stop it. “The fact that we do not have nuclear weapons and do not seek nuclear weapons is because we do not want them ourselves,” he said.

Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, also warned that any military action against the Islamic Republic would not go unanswered.

“Iran is fully capable of retaliating and will certainly do so,” he said, adding that if the US took military action against Iran, it would be America that suffers the most.

Tehran has said it will not negotiate under “maximum pressure.” 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.