Rouhani rebuffs Trump, says Iran will never agree to talks with US

Washington has repeatedly proposed dialogue with Tehran, but the Islamic Republic will always turn down such proposals, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said, shutting down Donald Trump’s offer to hold talks.

“No decision has ever been taken to hold talks with the US and there has been a lot of offers for talks but our answer will always be negative,” Rouhani told his country’s parliament on Tuesday.

Last week, US President Donald Trump stated that he was ready to meet with Rouhani “if the circumstances were right.” In order for such a meeting to occur, Tehran would have to “be a good player” and acquiesce to a number of US demands, including the abandonment of its ballistic missiles program, the president said.

Rouhani said at the time that he had no interest in dialogue with Trump as long as US sanctions against Iran remain in place.

Tensions between the US and Iran have been on the rise following Washington’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump has accused the Iranians of covertly violating commitments under the agreement, but multiple reviews by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found that Iran was in full compliance with the accord.

On Monday, Tehran announced that it was preparing to move further away from conditions set under the imperiled deal if European signatories fail to take action to save the landmark agreement.

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