Iran refuses direct discussions with US in reply to Trump’s letter

(MENAFN) Iran has firmly rejected the idea of direct talks with the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s recent letter suggesting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that trust between the two nations needs to be restored before any discussions can take place, emphasizing that while direct negotiations are off the table, the possibility of indirect talks remains open.

Trump had sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in early March, proposing to reopen talks about the nuclear issue. This came after the US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement during Trump's first term and re-imposed sanctions, which led Iran to gradually scale back its commitments under the deal.

Pezeshkian noted that while Iran has never avoided negotiations, the US’s previous actions, particularly non-compliance, had eroded trust, and it would need to be rebuilt before any meaningful discussions could happen. The response to Trump’s letter was conveyed to the US via Oman.

In retaliation, Trump warned of potential “bombing” if a deal is not reached, stating it would be unprecedented in scale, and also hinted at the imposition of secondary tariffs. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated the possibility of military action if diplomatic efforts fail. Iran, however, has dismissed these threats, with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy stating that Tehran is prepared to respond to any aggression.

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