Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, stated on the 30th (local time) that he rejected direct negotiations regarding the nuclear negotiation letter proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
President Pezeshkian noted in an official response delivered through Oman that "the possibility of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected," while adding, "the path for indirect negotiations remains open." He further mentioned, "We are not avoiding dialogue" and stated, "The U.S. must prove that it can build trust."
AP News Agency predicted that Iran's first official response suggests a possibility of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The Trump administration is pursuing a 'maximum pressure' policy, imposing strong economic sanctions on Iran with the aim of halting its nuclear weapon development and renegotiating the nuclear agreement.
Iran signed the nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in 2015, freezing its nuclear program, while the West agreed to lift sanctions. However, in 2018, President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement and restored sanctions.
Since then, indirect negotiations have yielded no results. After regaining power, President Trump is reported to have sent a letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran regarding nuclear negotiations, proposing a two-month deadline and warning that military action could be taken if there is no response.