Trump’s Push to Jump-Start Nuclear Talks Sparks New Tensions
© AP Photo / Andrew Harnik
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During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of the international deal on Iran's nuclear program. His determination to renegotiate has set off a new escalation.
Trump's ultimatum
The US President sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demanding a new nuclear deal within two months, threatening unspecified consequences.
Iran's rejection
Supreme Leader Khamenei dismissed Trump's proposal as deceptive. “Some bully governments’ insistence on talks is aimed at “asserting and imposing” their will, and Iran “will not accept their expectations,” Khamenei said.
Reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in its current form is “not viable...Our nuclear situation has progressed significantly, and we cannot revert to the previous conditions," Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said.
Regional Tensions
Trump suggested on March 17 that Iran was behind recent attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, hinting that US forces might retaliate beyond striking the rebels. He threatened to hold Iran responsible for 'any shot fired by Houthis.'
Tehran condemned Trump's rhetoric, rejecting any involvement in the attacks as ‘baseless’.
Supreme Leader Khamenei warned the US that Iran would retaliate against actions that harm the Iranian people. He also rejected the claim that Iran uses proxy forces in the region.
Diplomatic stalemate
"We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be," said Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with Iranian news outlet Khabar Online.
16 September 2024, 00:14 GMT
