Hassan Rouhani: The U.S. has requested negotiations 11 times

The President of Iran stated that U.S. officials made indirect requests for negotiations with Tehran eight times last year and three times this year, but the Islamic Republic has rejected them. Hassan Rouhani, speaking on Tuesday, December 4, at the University of Medical Sciences in Semnan on the occasion of 'Student Day,' referred to the current U.S. leaders as 'the most hostile individuals towards Iran' and described Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA as a 'breach of trust.' He added that the Islamic Republic has 'never fully trusted' the U.S. or others, noting that Iran previously negotiated with Iraq for two years during Ayatollah Khomeini's leadership despite not trusting Saddam Hussein, thus the issue of trust is not relevant here. According to Rouhani, 'Last year, the U.S. made eight direct requests and this year three indirect requests for negotiations, but based on the dignity of the people,' it was not accepted. U.S. officials have explicitly stated multiple times that they are ready to negotiate with Iran following their exit from the nuclear agreement. For instance, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, mentioned earlier this August that Washington seeks unconditional negotiations with Tehran and stated that if the Iranian President is willing, he would be 'definitely ready' for such discussions. However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry responded to these remarks by stating that the U.S. exit from the JCPOA and the reinstatement of sanctions hinder negotiations, asserting that dialogue requires 'mutual respect and adherence to international commitments,' while sanctions and pressure are the opposite of that. Nevertheless, Trump, referring to the economic turmoil in Iran that has led to a multiple increase in the dollar rate, assured that 'Iran has no choice but to negotiate to reach a real agreement with the U.S.' Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, even spoke of Washington's willingness to negotiate with Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stating that since Khamenei is 'the key player in the country,' negotiations between him and Trump would be 'interesting and important.' Rouhani defended the JCPOA again in his remarks on Tuesday, stating, 'Let’s assume that all the effects of the JCPOA were for the years 1394 and 1395 (2015 and 2016) and it was beneficial for two years; was it good or bad for those two years?' According to Rouhani, the country 'breathed for two years because of the JCPOA... and billions of dollars entered the country.' The Iranian President added, 'This agreement opened the way for merchants, banks, shipping, oil sales, petrochemicals, and steel... but during this contract, one party exited the agreement, and we returned to the conditions of 1391 and 1392 (2012 and 2013).' The U.S. exit from the JCPOA was one of Donald Trump's electoral promises that he acted upon upon entering the White House. Washington claims it seeks to achieve a new agreement with Iran that also includes its missile program and ends Iran's support for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.