Trump: I Wrote a Letter to Khamenei; Hope for Resuming Nuclear Negotiations

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, says he has written a letter to the leaders of the Islamic Republic and expressed hope for negotiations. He also warned that the only options for dealing with the Islamic Republic are 'reaching an agreement' or 'military action.' In an interview on Friday, March 8, with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business, he stated, 'I said I hope you negotiate because it would be much better for Iran.' In response to a question about the type of nuclear agreement he desires, he referred to 'military action' or 'agreement' as the only options available to the Islamic Republic, saying, 'There are two ways to deal with [the Islamic Republic of] Iran: either an agreement or military action.' He added that he prefers to reach an agreement because 'I am not looking to harm Iran. They are very good people. I know many Iranians in this country.' The President distinguished between the leaders of the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran, stating that the leaders are 'very evil people' and that by 'very good people' he does not mean the leaders of the Iranian government. Trump said, 'The people of Iran are very good people. But they have a harsh regime. They may be shot in the streets...' Confirming that he sent the letter to Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, on Thursday, he said, 'I did not tell them that they should negotiate. I said I hope you negotiate because it would be much better for Iran.' He noted that 'if we have to intervene militarily, it will be very terrible for them' and added, 'I think [the leaders of the government] will want to understand the meaning of that letter. The other option is that we have to do something because we cannot allow them to acquire nuclear weapons.' While Trump did not rule out the use of military options against the Islamic Republic, he stated he prefers to negotiate to reach an agreement. He continued, 'I am not sure everyone will agree with me. But we can reach an agreement that is as good as a military victory.' The Persian section of Voice of America has contacted the U.S. government for more information about the content of this letter and will inform its audience as soon as a response is received. Since returning to the White House, Trump has revived the maximum pressure policy and called for a comprehensive agreement with the Islamic Republic. However, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has declared any negotiations with the U.S. forbidden. Now, as negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement have stalled, concerns about the future of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program have increased. With the resumption of the 'maximum pressure' campaign and the increasing isolation of the Islamic Republic in the international economic arena, along with the near-zero level of the Iranian government's oil exports, efforts are being made to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. Among the first actions of the President in the early weeks of his administration was the imposition of new sanctions against shadow fleets and companies that transport crude oil from sanctioned countries using old oil tankers.