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Iran’s Rouhani Says No Talks With Trump Until Sanctions Are Lifted Iran’s Rouhani Says No Talks With Trump Until Sanctions Are Lifted
(about 5 hours later)
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said on Tuesday that he would not sit down for a meeting with President Trump until Washington had lifted all of its economic sanctions against Iran.President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said on Tuesday that he would not sit down for a meeting with President Trump until Washington had lifted all of its economic sanctions against Iran.
His comment came a day after President Emmanuel Macron of France said he would try to arrange a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani in the next few weeks to ease the strained relationship between the United States and Iran. His comment came a day after President Emmanuel Macron of France said he would try to arrange a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani in the next few weeks, in an attempt to ease the strained relationship between their countries.
That relationship has worsened since Mr. Trump abandoned the Iranian nuclear agreement last year and imposed crippling sanctions on Iran’s economy. Mr. Trump said he was open to the idea if the Iranians were “good players.” Mr. Rouhani responded in kind.
Mr. Macron said at a news conference on Monday at the conclusion of the Group of 7 meeting in France that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart to determine whether a meeting was possible. “In the relations between Iran and the U.S., we will not witness any positive development unless the U.S. abandons the sanctions and corrects the wrong path it has chosen,” Mr. Rouhani said during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, according to the semiofficial Iranian news agency Tasnim.
Mr. Trump, who joined Mr. Macron at the news conference, said he was open to the idea of a meeting if the Iranians were “good players.” Mr. Macron said at a news conference on Monday at the conclusion of the Group of 7 summit meeting that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart to determine whether a meeting was possible, and the next day Mr. Rouhani put the ball firmly back into Mr. Trump’s court.
On Tuesday, Mr. Rouhani responded in kind, putting the ball firmly back in Mr. Trump’s court.
“In the relations between Iran and the U.S., we will not witness any positive development unless the U.S. abandons the sanctions and corrects the wrong path it has chosen,” Mr. Rouhani said during a meeting in Tehran that was broadcast on Iranian television.
“The key to positive developments is in Washington’s hands,” the Iranian leader said.“The key to positive developments is in Washington’s hands,” the Iranian leader said.
Mr. Rouhani also made what appeared to be a sarcastic reference to Mr. Trump’s penchant for publicity-seeking in his outreach to the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, over eliminating Pyongyang’s arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles. Three meetings between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim, who have been shown smiling and shaking hands in news photographs, have yielded no progress on disarmament or on the sanctions on North Korea. The relationship between the two nations has deteriorated since last year, when Mr. Trump pulled the United States out of the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement and imposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
“We seek to resolve issues and problems in a rational way, but we are not after photos,” Mr. Rouhani said in the remarks, as translated by PressTV, an Iranian news website. “For anyone wanting to take a picture with Hassan Rouhani, this is not possible,” unless sanctions are lifted, he said. With European leaders trying to salvage the deal, Iran continued to abide by it for a year, but tensions with the United States have escalated sharply in the last few months, raising fears of a military clash.
White House officials declined to comment on Mr. Rouhani’s speech, but an administration official pointed to Mr. Trump’s Group of 7 remarks. The State Department said in a statement that “the President’s remarks at the G7 speak for themselves,” and that Mr. Trump had “made clear he was ready to talk without preconditions when the circumstances are right.” Mr. Trump imposed a punishing new set of sanctions in May, in what his administration has called a campaign of “maximum pressure.” Within days, a series of attacks began on tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that a third of all the world’s seaborne oil passes through. The United States blamed Iran for the attacks.
The estranged relationship between Iran and the United States has severely deteriorated under Mr. Trump, who regards the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated with Iran under his predecessor, President Barack Obama, as a disaster.
The agreement rescinded economic sanctions on Iran in return for its verifiable pledge of purely peaceful nuclear work, but some provisions of the accord expire after a number of years. Other parties to the agreement, including America’s closest European allies, support the accord and have sought to preserve it.
Iran continued to abide by the accord’s provisions for a year, but the escalation of tensions with the United States in the last few months have raised fears of a military clash.
Mr. Trump imposed a punishing new set of sanctions in May, in what his administration has called a campaign of “maximum pressure.” Within days, a series of attacks began on tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for a third of all the world’s seaborne oil. The United States blamed Iran for the attacks.
Iran also began to exceed the limits on uranium enrichment that it had accepted in the 2015 deal.Iran also began to exceed the limits on uranium enrichment that it had accepted in the 2015 deal.
Mr. Trump sent additional military forces to the region. When Iran shot down an American military drone in June, he ordered, and then called off, strikes on Iran.Mr. Trump sent additional military forces to the region. When Iran shot down an American military drone in June, he ordered, and then called off, strikes on Iran.
In July, the British and Gibraltar authorities seized an Iranian tanker, which was then held for more than six weeks before being released. Iran said the ship had been detained at the behest of the United States, and in retaliation, seized a British tanker, one of several vessels it has impounded. In July, the British and Gibraltar authorities seized an Iranian tanker, which was then held for more than six weeks before being released. Iran said the ship had been detained at the behest of the United States, and in retaliation seized a British tanker, one of several vessels it has impounded.
A meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani would be the first face-to-face talks between American and Iranian leaders since the Tehran hostage crisis began 40 years ago. President Obama spoke to Mr. Rouhani by telephone in 2013. A meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani would be the first face-to-face talks between American and Iranian leaders since the Tehran hostage crisis began 40 years ago. President Barack Obama spoke to Mr. Rouhani by telephone in 2013.