Khamenei Again Opposes Negotiation; Zarif: Trump's Letter Has Not Yet Reached Us

Ali Khamenei stated one day after the U.S. President announced he had sent a letter to him that Iran will not negotiate with 'bullying governments.' In his speech on Saturday, March 9, he did not mention the U.S. or President Trump by name, but claimed that the insistence of these governments on negotiation is 'not to solve issues' and that they want to 'impose' and 'dominate.' Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Friday that he seeks negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program and has sent a letter to Ali Khamenei. Hours later, he told reporters at the White House that 'very, very soon things will happen' regarding Iran, 'interesting days are ahead,' and 'we have reached final movements regarding Iran.' However, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Trump's letter has not yet reached Tehran. Abbas Araghchi, on the sidelines of a meeting of Islamic Republic officials with Ali Khamenei, responded to a question from a state television reporter about Trump's letter by saying, 'We have heard about it,' but nothing has reached us yet. Khamenei announced in a meeting with current and former officials that negotiations are a way for the other side to present 'new expectations,' adding, 'The issue is not just the nuclear issue. New expectations such as defense programs, missile capabilities, and Iran's international capabilities are raised, which will certainly not be met by the Islamic Republic.' He, however, without going into details, said that 'we may discuss some things at some points.' Khamenei did not provide further explanation on this matter and stated that he does not want to address these issues. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly emphasized that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons, and he reiterated this position when announcing that he sent a letter to the Iranian leader. Khamenei also dismissed the European Troika's stance regarding Iran's failure to meet its commitments under the JCPOA as 'bullying talk.' The European Union's representation at the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a statement on March 6, emphasizing serious opposition to the potential acquisition of nuclear weapons by the Islamic Republic. The statement noted the 'significant increase in the speed and purity of uranium enrichment and its accumulation in Iran,' declaring that the Islamic Republic has significantly deviated from its JCPOA commitments and has acquired 'irreversible knowledge.' Before Khamenei's speech, Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, also stated that we should not back down from any threats made by enemies and called for 'unity.' Pezeshkian had previously stated during the impeachment of former Minister of Economy Abdolnaser Hemmati in Parliament that he personally supported negotiations with the U.S. and believed that dialogue with the United States would solve problems, but after Khamenei's prohibition, he set aside this view. Khamenei has maintained his position on negotiations with the U.S. unchanged since 2019 when he rejected a message from Trump during his first presidency delivered by the then Prime Minister of Japan. However, there are speculations about Moscow's efforts to mediate in resolving the Islamic Republic's nuclear case between Iran and the U.S., which Kremlin officials have also confirmed.