Trump says he despatched message to Iran’s chief urging negotiations, however Tehran says it hasn’t acquired a letter.
Iran says it has but to obtain a letter from President Donald Trump after the US chief stated he had sent one searching for talks with the nation’s management about its nuclear programme.
“We’ve not acquired such a letter to date,” a spokesman for Iran’s embassy stated on Friday.
The feedback come after Trump stated he despatched a letter to Iran’s Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei, searching for negotiations over a brand new cope with Tehran to restrain its quickly advancing nuclear programme.
Iran’s Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the prospect of nuclear negotiations with the US if Tehran stays underneath heavy sanctions from Washington.
“We is not going to enter any direct negotiations with the US as long as they proceed their most strain coverage and their threats,” Araghchi advised the AFP information company.
Since taking workplace in January, Trump’s administration has levied sanctions towards Iran – together with on the nation’s oil community – as a part of his “most strain” technique.
Iranian state media instantly picked up on Trump’s feedback, given in parts of a Fox Enterprise Information interview aired on Friday, although there was no affirmation from Khamenei’s workplace that any letter had been acquired. The interview is predicted to air in full on Sunday.
It remained unclear how the 85-year-old supreme chief would react, provided that former President Barack Obama had saved his letters to Khamenei secret earlier than the beginning of negotiations that led to Tehran’s 2015 cope with world powers.
Khamenei in a speech final August opened the door to talks with the US, saying there may be “no hurt” in participating with the “enemy.” That got here after Iran elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian in June, who campaigned on guarantees to barter a brand new cope with world powers, just like the nation’s 2015 deal which Trump withdrew from in 2018.
Trump’s acknowledgement comes as each Israel and the US have warned they won’t let Iran purchase a nuclear weapon, resulting in fears of a navy confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near-weapons-grade ranges – a purity solely sought by atomic-armed nations.
“I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to barter as a result of if we now have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a horrible factor,’” Trump stated. He later added that he had despatched the letter “yesterday” within the interview, which was filmed on Thursday.
The White Home confirmed Trump’s feedback, saying that he despatched a letter to Iran’s leaders searching for to barter a nuclear deal.
“I might slightly negotiate a deal. I’m unsure that everyone agrees with me, however we are able to make a deal that might be simply pretty much as good as when you received militarily,” Trump added. “However the time is going on now. The time is developing. One thing’s going to occur somehow.”
“I hope you’re going to barter as a result of it’s going to be loads higher for Iran and I feel they wish to get that letter,” Trump stated. “The opposite various is we now have to do one thing as a result of you possibly can’t allow them to have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump provided no particulars of what, if something, was particularly provided to Iran within the letter.
Iran has lengthy maintained its programme is for peaceable functions, at the same time as its officers more and more threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are excessive with the US over its sanctions and with Israel as a shaky ceasefire holds in its conflict towards Hamas within the Gaza Strip.
US intelligence businesses assess that Iran has but to start a weapons programme, however has “undertaken actions that higher place it to provide a nuclear machine, if it chooses to take action”.
Since Trump returned to the White Home, his administration has persistently stated that Iran should be prevented from buying nuclear weapons. A report final month, nevertheless, by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog stated Iran has accelerated its manufacturing of near-weapons-grade uranium.
