Iran rejects direct nuclear discussions with Trump, open to indirect negotiations | New policies

The American president threatens Iran of bombing if Tehran does not reach a nuclear agreement with Washington.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has excluded direct negotiations with the administration of US President Donald Trump during the country’s nuclear program, but reported a desire for indirect talks, while Trump threatened with bombardments and secondary prices if Tehran does not reach an agreement with the Washington.

“We responded to the letter from the American president via Oman and rejected the option of direct talks, but we are open to indirect negotiations,” Pezeshkian said on Sunday at a meeting in Tehran.

He stressed that even if Iran is not against negotiations in principle, Washington must first correct its previous “fault” and reconstruct confidence.

His remarks, reported by the Isna news agency, come in the midst of increasing tensions between the two nations.

“If they do not conclude, there will be bombings,” said Trump in a telephone interview with NBC on Sunday.

“But there is a chance that if they do not conclude, I will make secondary prices as I did four years ago.”

Barbara Slavin, member of the Washington Stims Center and Lecturer in international business at George Washington University, told Al Jazeera that “Iranians have, the right to be suspicious, given Trump’s history and withdraw from a previous transaction”.

Trump even pointed out his desire to raise sanctions if nuclear and regional problems are resolved, but his ability to conclude an agreement is uncertain, said Slavin.

“The Iranians are worried, but especially on the economic impact of Trump’s sanctions, the resumption and the increase in economic sanctions, which we have already seen. The Iranian currency was stamoured spectacularly.

“The United States has moved additional bombers to Diego Garcia. It has another aircraft carrier that apparently enters the region. It is therefore well placed to carry out a sort of military action, perhaps in conjunction with the Israelis if there is no movement towards a diplomatic colony,” said Slavin.

Earlier in March, Trump had written to the Iranian supreme chief of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that Tehran must either accept new negotiations or face a military confrontation.

Khamenei rejected the ultimatum, insisting that Iran would only engage in talks through intermediaries.

During his first mandate as American president in 2017-2021, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 agreement between Iran and the global powers which set strict limits on the disputed nuclear activities of Tehran in exchange for sanctions.

After Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reprinted the American scanning sanctions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran had raised enough fissile equipment for several bombs but had made no effort to build one.

Iran said its nuclear program was entirely for civil energy purposes.

The Iranian economy was beaten by sanctions, observers suggesting that only a breakthrough in negotiations with Washington could lead to any relief.

Kamal Kharrazi, advisor to Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, said Tehran had “not closed all the doors” to negotiations.

“He is ready for indirect negotiations with the United States to assess the other party, declare his own conditions and make the appropriate decision,” said the councilor, said state media.