Iran's Foreign Ministry: Rouhani Rejected Trump's Request for Meeting

Iran's Foreign Ministry claims that Hassan Rouhani rejected a request from U.S. President Donald Trump for a meeting and discussion on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly. Bahram Qasemi, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated on Sunday evening in response to a note in the Fars news agency regarding Rouhani's rejection of Trump's meeting request that 'such a desire was expressed by the American side but was not approved by the Iranian President.' Qasemi did not provide further details or the exact timing of this matter, and U.S. officials have not yet responded to this claim. Both presidents spoke at the UN General Assembly this year, but their speeches were scheduled on different days. Additionally, neither president was present during the other's speech at the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, Trump's speech at the UN was filled with criticisms of the Iranian government's behavior, emphasizing that 'the criminal regime of Iran should not be allowed to continue its destabilizing actions.' He stated that 'the Iranian government hides a corrupt dictatorship behind a facade of false democracy and has turned a historically rich and prosperous country into a rogue state with an empty economy, whose main exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos.' He also noted that 'the people of Iran have long been the primary victims of the leaders of this country.' Since the severance of relations between Iran and the U.S. in 1979, the two countries have never held a meeting at the leadership level, although direct face-to-face contacts between the foreign ministers of both countries during nuclear negotiations were key to reaching the Vienna nuclear agreement. However, in 2013, during Rouhani's first appearance at the UN General Assembly, he and then U.S. President Barack Obama had an unprecedented phone conversation, which was criticized by Rouhani's domestic opponents. The current U.S. administration considers Iran an unreliable government whose 'destructive and destabilizing behaviors' in the region violate the goals of the nuclear agreement. Therefore, Trump's administration, which has recently refused to confirm Tehran's compliance with the nuclear agreement as part of a new strategy towards Iran, is seeking reforms in the nuclear agreement that would also encompass other aspects of Iran's behavior. For years, Iran has identified the U.S. as its number one enemy, and even during Obama's presidency, when the U.S. had a more moderate approach towards Iran, the Iranian leader described this approach as hiding an iron fist in a velvet glove. Ayatollah Khamenei, just weeks after Rouhani's re-election as president, advised the government to use experiences such as not trusting the U.S. in managing the country. In this context, the announcement of the new U.S. strategy towards Iran includes sanctions on the IRGC and non-confirmation of compliance with the JCPOA. Rouhani's response to the new U.S. strategy: 'As long as Iran's interests require, we will remain in the JCPOA.' Trump: 'Complete termination of the nuclear agreement is entirely possible.' Rouhani: 'Even if 10 more Trumps emerge in the world, the benefits of the JCPOA are irreversible.' Trump's National Security Advisor: 'Iran is an unreliable government.' Zarif: 'If the nuclear agreement is revoked, no one will trust the U.S.' Khamenei: 'In managing the country, experiences such as not trusting the U.S. should be used.'