ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Thursday that Iran has responded to US President Donald Trump’s letter through Oman, reiterating that Tehran will not engage directly with Washington as long as the US maintains its “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
“The official response comprises a letter wherein our viewpoints regarding the status quo and Mr. Trump’s letter have been fully laid out and relayed to the other side,” the chief Iranian diplomat told the state-run IRNA news agency.
He stressed that Iran’s policy still stands on no direct negotiations under maximum pressure and military threats.
On March 7, Trump told Fox Business that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, signaling openness to nuclear negotiations. He also warned of military action against Iran in case it refuses to cooperate stating, “If we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them [Iran].”
Commenting on Trump’s letter, Araghchi stated on Sunday that “negotiations with the United States are no longer possible considering the current circumstances,” adding that “certain things have to change” for the negotiations to kick off.
Days prior on Thursday, the senior Iranian diplomat had described Trump’s message as “mostly threatening, but it also claims there are opportunities. We will examine the dimensions of both the threats and the opportunities.” He emphasized that Tehran’s opposition to talks with the US stems from “history and experience” rather than “stubbornness.”
Under a 2015 nuclear deal - formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - with world powers, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions.
However, the deal began unraveling in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew the US from the accord and reimposed biting sanctions on Iran.
Tehran adhered to the deal for a year before gradually ramped up its nuclear activities afterward.
After returning to office, Trump in early February restored his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon. Despite this, the US President expressed openness to negotiating a new deal with Iran, though Iranian Supreme Leader, Khamenei, then deemed such negotiations as “unwise.”
