ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said that the letter sent by US President Donald Trump to restart nuclear talks with Tehran contained both threats and opportunities. He stressed that his country would respond in due time but would not negotiate directly, in light of the ongoing pressure and sanctions.
The US President’s “message is mostly threatening, but it also claims there are opportunities. We will examine the dimensions of both the threats and the opportunities,” Araghchi said in a televised interview broadcast by state media, adding that Iran's response would take all of these details into consideration.
On March 7, Trump told Fox Business that he had sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging the restart of nuclear negotiations. He warned that “if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them [Iran].”
Khamenei in mid-March rejected Trump's letter as deceptive, noting that the US President’s excessive demands would "tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure” on Tehran.
Iran's foreign ministry confirmed the receipt of the letter on Friday, stating that “it is currently under review” and that a decision will be made after a thorough evaluation.
Araghchi reiterated on Thursday that “Iran’s policy is clear,” stressing, “Under pressure and sanctions, we will certainly not engage in direct negotiations” and that talks “must take place from a position of equality.” He stated that Iran’s response to Trump’s letter would be conveyed “in the coming days through appropriate channels."
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 but gradually ramped up its nuclear activities afterward.
After returning to the White House, 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 negotiate a new deal with Iran, though Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei deemed such negotiations as “unwise.”
Commenting on Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, Araghchi stated, “The situation brought about by America’s new president is not new to us,” adding that Tehran “will overcome the complexities of US politics and navigate them to secure the interests and national security of Iran.”