Iran has rejected direct negotiations with the US in response to Trump’s letter

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s president stated Sunday that Tehran had rejected direct negotiations with the US in response to a letter from President Donald Trump over its quickly advancing nuclear program.

The remarks from President Masoud Pezeshkian represented the primary official acknowledgment of how Iran responded to Trump’s letter. It additionally means that tensions might additional rise between Tehran and Washington.

Pezeshkian stated: “Though the potential of direct negotiations between the 2 sides has been rejected on this response, it has been emphasised that the trail for oblique negotiations stays open.”

It’s unclear, nevertheless, whether or not Trump would settle for oblique negotiations. Oblique negotiations for years since Trump initially withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear take care of world powers in 2018 have been unsuccessful.

Trump’s overture comes as each Israel and the US have warned they may by no means let Iran purchase a nuclear weapon, resulting in fears of a army confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at close to weapons-grade ranges — one thing solely performed by atomic-armed nations.

Iran has lengthy maintained its program 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 U.S. over its sanctions and after the collapse of a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict towards Hamas within the Gaza Strip.

Since Trump returned to the White Home, his administration has persistently stated that Iran should be prevented from buying nuclear weapons. A report in February, nevertheless, by the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog stated Iran has accelerated its manufacturing of close to weapons-grade uranium.

Trump’s first time period in workplace was marked by a very troubled interval in relations with Tehran. In 2018, he unilaterally withdrew the US from Iran’s nuclear take care of world powers, resulting in sanctions hobbling Iran’s economic system. Iran retaliated with assaults at sea — together with one which it probably carried out and that quickly halved Saudi Arabia’s oil manufacturing.

Trump additionally ordered the assault that killed Iran’s high basic in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020.

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