Trump: Iranian Officials Will Eventually 'Use Their Intelligence' and Negotiate

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, reiterated the implementation of the 'harshest sanctions' against Iran, stating that officials of the Islamic Republic will eventually become 'very smart' and return to negotiate a new nuclear agreement. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister has discussed the return of U.S. sanctions in a phone call with several European officials. Speaking to his supporters in Indiana on Friday evening, November 2, Trump referred to the JCPOA as a very bad agreement and added that instead of that agreement, 'we will impose the harshest sanctions against this ruthless regime.' However, he emphasized that a time will come when the officials of the Islamic Republic 'will become very smart and return to negotiate for a real and fair agreement that leads to their prosperity; we want their prosperity.' On May 20, Trump expressed hope that the United States would reach a new and 'fair' agreement with Iran, stating that the strongest, harshest, and most precise sanctions would be imposed against Iran. After proposing a meeting with Hassan Rouhani, he repeatedly emphasized that Iran would ultimately have to negotiate for a new agreement with the U.S. In contrast, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, expressed regret over previous negotiations with the U.S. and stated that, like Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, he would prohibit negotiations with the U.S. Meanwhile, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran, stated on November 8 that the implementation of the European proposal package to Iran is contingent on 'possible de-escalation' between Iran and the U.S. Hours before his speech in Indiana, Trump told reporters in Virginia that U.S. sanctions would deal a significant blow to Iran, and that since the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA, Iran is no longer the same country. U.S. officials announced on Friday that all sanctions that were suspended under the JCPOA would be reinstated, and 300 new individuals and entities would be added to the sanctions list. In another development, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, spoke by phone on Friday evening, hours after U.S. officials' statements about the return of sanctions, with the EU's foreign policy chief and the foreign ministers of Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. According to the IRNA news agency, Zarif discussed the EU's efforts to counter these sanctions in separate conversations. He also rejected allegations of Iran attempting to carry out an assassination in Denmark during a phone call with the Danish Foreign Minister, expressing the Islamic Republic's readiness to 'cooperate with Danish security officials to clarify various aspects' of this issue. The European Union, which seeks to maintain the nuclear agreement with Iran, expressed regret over the return of sanctions. The EU has devised a special mechanism to protect European companies wishing to continue trade with Iran. However, several large European companies have halted their activities in Iran due to fears of U.S. sanctions, including major oil company Total, Peugeot-Citroën, Daimler, and Airbus. Additionally, Abdolnaser Hemmati, the head of Iran's Central Bank, stated on Friday without providing details that the bank has a 'suitable plan' for changing conditions 'even in the very unlikely event of a minimum reduction in oil exports.' Furthermore, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, reacted to the return of U.S. sanctions by stating that Washington 'no longer has the ability to pressure countries and global economic entities' and that this action is also a 'psychological war' aimed at 'fear and anxiety' among the people. Some other officials of the Islamic Republic have made similar statements.