Trump: The Islamic Republic Will Be Ready for Negotiation

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, addressed various topics during his first cabinet meeting of the new year on Wednesday, January 2, and spoke about Iran, stating that the Islamic Republic is not yet ready to negotiate with the U.S. but added that with continued pressure, "they will be ready." The U.S. President reiterated his very negative view of the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, claiming that due to his administration's pressures on the Islamic Republic, Iran is now completely different from 19 months ago. Trump pointed out that the Islamic Republic faces weekly protests and riots from the people "in all cities, and larger than before," their money is "under siege," and they have many problems. He expressed his interest in negotiating with Iranian officials, saying they are "not ready yet, but they will be ready." According to the U.S. President, Iran had become a power in the Middle East by the time Trump took office, and the Islamic Republic "intended to take over the entire Middle East" and destroy Israel in the process. However, he noted that today the Islamic Republic is "pulling its people out of Syria and Yemen" and is "struggling for survival." Trump also mentioned that Iran's presence in Yemen is due to Yemen's long border with Saudi Arabia and that when he began his presidency, "Saudi Arabia was under siege" by Iran. Iranian officials have always stated that their assistance to Yemeni rebels is of an "advisory" nature. Trump previously indicated that his country has imposed the strongest, most severe, and precise sanctions against Iran and expressed hope that the U.S. would reach a new and "fair" agreement with Iran. He reiterated that the "harshest sanctions" would be applied against Iran and said that a time will come when Islamic Republic officials "will become very smart and come back to negotiate for a real and fair agreement that leads to their prosperity; we want their prosperity." For the first time, Trump announced his willingness to talk to Tehran officials "without any conditions" on July 30. After proposing a meeting with Hassan Rouhani, he has repeatedly emphasized that Iran will ultimately have to negotiate for a new agreement with the U.S. In contrast, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has expressed regret over previous negotiations with the U.S. and stated that, like Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, he prohibits negotiations with the U.S. Khamenei added on August 13 that "we can only enter the dangerous game of negotiation with the U.S. when we reach the desired power economically, politically, and culturally, and their pressures and bluster cannot affect us, but currently, negotiation would definitely be to our detriment and is prohibited." The return of severe U.S. sanctions against Iran has imposed significant economic pressure on Iran, causing the Islamic Republic's government to face multiple shortages in its new budget.