Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian regime’s foreign minister, stated during a Nowruz television program on state TV that Donald Trump’s letter was more of a threat but that “he claims there are also opportunities.” Araghchi added that the Iranian regime would consider both the threat and opportunity aspects of the letter and would respond accordingly.
Araghchi further stated: “Under pressure, threats, and increased sanctions, we will certainly not engage in direct negotiations. We will respond to Trump’s letter in the coming days and send it through the appropriate channels.”
Minutes before Araghchi’s remarks, the state-run ILNA news agency quoted Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesperson for Masoud Pezeshkian’s government, as saying that Trump’s letter to the Iranian regime’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was “under review” and that a “substantive response” would be provided at an appropriate time and in a manner deemed suitable.
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On March 20, Mohajerani stated: “There is currently no plan to disclose the content of Trump’s letter.”
Previously, on March 17, Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian regime’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that there was no decision yet to publicly release Trump’s letter to the Supreme Leader and that a response would be given “through the appropriate channels after a full review.”
Baghaei also stated: “The tone of Trump’s letter does not differ significantly from his public statements and has been structured along the same lines.”
Hours before Araghchi’s and the government spokesperson’s remarks about Trump’s letter, the news website Axios, citing a U.S. official and two informed sources, reported that the letter had a “strict and tough tone” and included a two-month deadline to reach a new nuclear agreement.
The letter was recently delivered to Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian regime’s foreign minister in Tehran, through Anwar Mohammed Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates.
Axios wrote that it is unclear whether the two-month deadline given to Tehran is counted from the time the letter was sent or from the start of potential negotiations.
According to the report, if Tehran rejects Trump’s proposal and continues its nuclear program, the likelihood of U.S. or Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities will significantly increase.
Axios also reported that before sending the letter, the White House had shared its contents with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Although the details of Trump’s letter to Khamenei have not yet been officially released, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, stated on March 12 that the U.S. demands the dismantling of Iran’s proxy groups in the region as part of reviving the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal).
On March 7, the U.S. President told reporters at the White House that confronting the threats posed by the Iranian regime had reached its final stages and that the issue would either be resolved through negotiation or military action.
