Iran rejects Trump’s claims of nuclear talks letter

Iranian officials on Saturday denied receiving a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump proposing nuclear talks, contradicting Trump’s claim that he had reached out to the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

“We have also heard of it (the letter), but we haven’t received anything,” Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

The conflicting accounts highlight the continuing diplomatic disconnect between Washington and Tehran as tensions persist over Iran’s nuclear program and U.S. sanctions.

Trump said Friday that he had sent a letter encouraging negotiations with Iran. “I said I hope you’re going to negotiate because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,” Trump stated, while also warning of potential military action if talks did not materialize.

Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations quickly rejected Trump’s assertion. “We have not received such a letter yet,” the mission clarified.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei responded to the situation by criticizing what he characterized as Western pressure tactics.

“The insistence of some bullying powers on holding talks with Iran does not aim to solve issues but rather aims to assert and impose their own expectations,” Khamenei said. “Absolutely, the Islamic Republic will not accept their expectations.”

The dispute comes amid ongoing fallout from the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.

The multilateral nuclear deal, which lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limitations on its nuclear activities, collapsed after Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement.

Following the U.S. exit, Iran initially continued to comply with the deal for more than a year. However, citing the failure of remaining signatories to protect its economic interests from renewed U.S. sanctions, Tehran has since gradually scaled back its commitments under the agreement.