Vaezi: Jannati's Statements About Rouhani and Trump Meeting Are Baseless

Mahmoud Vaezi, the head of Hassan Rouhani's office, rejected Ahmad Jannati's statements regarding the Iranian president's intention to meet with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, calling them 'baseless.' Vaezi referred to Jannati's comments made during the fifth official meeting of the Assembly of Experts and compared his remarks about a potential meeting between Trump and Rouhani to the words of people in the streets. He stated, 'The esteemed chairman of the Assembly of Experts said that some want to go to New York to meet Trump. I found these remarks very strange, as some might say such things in the streets, but it was surprising that the esteemed chairman of the Assembly of Experts made these statements.' Vaezi continued, 'These remarks have never been raised and have no basis. I ask all the country's dignitaries to be careful when they want to give interviews and speeches, so that their statements are credible to the people.' Jannati had stated a day earlier, 'Trump is looking for mischief to meet with Mr. Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN meeting, while the leadership has repeatedly said that no official has the right to negotiate with the U.S. government.' Donald Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal with Iran to resume sanctions against Tehran, has proposed unconditional negotiations with Tehran officials to reach another agreement. However, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has rejected this proposal, stating that, like Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the current Iranian government, he prohibits negotiations with the U.S. Khamenei also stated in another speech, 'They want to maneuver that we even brought the Islamic Republic of Iran to the negotiating table. Therefore, as I have previously stated in detail and with reason, no negotiations will take place with them.' Speculations about a potential meeting between Iranian and American leaders come as Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, announced that the Security Council will hold a meeting on Iran on September 26, chaired by Donald Trump. She added that Hassan Rouhani could also attend this meeting and even give a speech. Iran has faced unprecedented economic turmoil in recent months, with the price of the U.S. dollar in the free market reaching nearly 15,000 tomans. Economic corruption, which even Islamic Republic officials acknowledge, along with political and social discontent and U.S. sanctions, has complicated the situation to the extent that Donald Trump has raised the possibility of the fall of the Islamic Republic government.