Iran dismissed claims Saturday by US President Donald Trump that he sent a letter proposing nuclear talks with Iran, according to media reports.
“We have also heard of it (the letter) but we haven’t received anything,” Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters, according to the Mehr News Agency.
Trump said in a statement Friday that he hoped Iran would enter negotiations. “I said I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,” he said, before warning Tehran of potential military action.
Iran’s permanent mission to the UN, however, swiftly rejected Trump’s statement, clarifying, “We have not received such a letter yet.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei responded by criticizing the pressure tactics of the West.
“The insistence of some bullying powers on holding talks with Iran does not aim to solve issues but rather aims to assert and impose their own expectations,” said Khamenei. “Absolutely, the Islamic Republic will not accept their expectations.”
Iranian media also reported Friday that Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York responded to a question about Trump’s statement that he sent a letter to Khamenei, stating that they have not yet received a letter.
The developments come amid tensions about the 2018 US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral nuclear deal.
Trump’s exit from the accord, which lifted sanctions in exchange for Iran scaling back nuclear activities, led to harsh US sanctions.
Despite complying with the agreement for over a year after the US withdrawal, Iran gradually reduced its commitments, citing the failure of the deal’s remaining signatories to protect its interests.