US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to begin negotiating with Washington for a “nuclear peace agreement.”
Meanwhile Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian played down a memorandum signed by the US President aimed at reducing Tehran's oil exports to zero.
On Tuesday, Trump restored his so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran with a presidential memorandum signed ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington DC.
In return, Tehran rejected Trump’s claim that Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons, and assumed that the maximum pressure is a failed experience.
The US policy aims to reduce Iran's influence in the region and to force Iranian rulers to accept a comprehensive agreement and be denied a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles.
“I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper,” Trump wrote in a post on X.
“We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed,” he added.
On Tuesday, Trump signed the presidential memorandum to enforce the most aggressive sanctions on the Iranian regime and to drive Iranian oil exports to zero, affirming that Iran should not develop a nuclear weapon.
When asked how close he thinks Iran is to developing a nuclear weapon, Trump said, “I think they're close. I think they're close. They're too close.”
Also, the US President said he has ‘left instructions’ with his advisors for Iran to be “obliterated” if it assassinates him.
As he signed the memo, Trump described it as very tough and said he was torn on whether to make the move.
He said he was open to a deal with Iran and expressed a willingness to talk to the Iranian leader.
In Tehran, Iran's president played down the memorandum signed by Trump aimed at reducing Tehran's oil exports to zero.
“They think everything we have depends on oil and want to block our oil exports, while there are many ways to solve our problems,” Pezeshkian said Wednesday.
Iran Rejects Direct Talks
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Wednesday that a meeting between Trump and Pezeshkian, and direct negotiating with the US are not on Iran's agenda at the moment.
“If Trump is concerned that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons, he should rest assured that our position remains firm—we only pursue the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Aref told reporters in Tehran.
He added that Iran has consistently maintained a clear strategy across all area and that Iran is committed to achieving self-sufficiency in its defense sector. “We are not seeking war at all, but we will defend ourselves vigorously and procure the equipment we need,” he said.
Echoing Aref’s stances, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that the nuclear controversy was not hard to resolve.
“If the main issue is ensuring that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, this is achievable and not a difficult matter,” he said after a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
The Foreign Minister said Iran's strategies on nuclear weapons are clear, noting that a longstanding religious decree, or fatwa, issued by supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, prohibits Iran from possessing a nuclear arsenal.
Araghchi then responded to Trump’s maximum pressure strategy. “I believe that maximum pressure is a failed experiment and trying it again will turn into another failure,” he said.
Also, the Iranian government spokeswoman reacted to Trump's remarks regarding his readiness to negotiate with the Iranian president.
“Our country's foreign policy has always been based on a set of fixed principles. We follow three key principles: the dignity of the country and its people, wisdom in understanding underlying issues, and expediency,” Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
Meanwhile, Iranian Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif expressed skepticism that anyone in Iran’s government holds any hope in the US, emphasizing that Iranian authorities focus on the removal of barriers.
He said Iran’s Foreign Ministry is actively working to eliminate barriers hindering Iran's relationships with China, Africa, Russia, and neighboring states.
Chance to Rein in Israel
On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran is ready to give the United States a chance to resolve disputes between the arch foes.
The official also said Tehran disagreed with “any displacement of Gazans, but Iran-US talks are a separate matter,” referring to Trump's remarks that the US would take over war-ravaged Gaza.
“Iran does not agree with any displacement of Palestinians and has communicated this through various channels. However, this issue and the path of Iran’s nuclear agreement are two separate matters and should be pursued separately,” the official said.
He added that Tehran wanted the United States to “rein in Israel if Washington is seeking a deal” with Iran.
For his part, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Director Mohammad Eslami said that Iran has no plans to develop nuclear weapons.
