Senior Iranian officials on Tuesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer of talks as worthless and “a humiliation.”
Trump said on Monday he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss how to improve relations. Trump said his offer came with no preconditions. “If they want to meet, I’ll meet,” he told reporters.
But the head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations reportedly said Iran saw “no value” in Trump’s proposal to meet. Kamal Kharrazi was quoted in the semi-official Fars news agency. He noted his country’s “bad experiences in negotiations with America” as well as “U.S. officials’ violation of their commitments.”
In May, Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 multinational agreement that eased international sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. Trump said the deal helped Iran more than it helped other countries.
And on July 23, Trump warned Iran of serious consequences “few had ever suffered in history” if it made threats against the United States.
The deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, Ali Motahari, said that to negotiate with Trump now “would be a humiliation.” Motahari told the state news agency IRNA, “If Trump had not withdrawn from the nuclear deal and not imposed (new) sanctions on Iran, there would be no problem with negotiations with America.”
A senior aide to Rouhani said in a Twitter message that the only way to re-open talks was for the United States to return to the nuclear agreement. Hamid Aboutalebi tweeted on Tuesday, “Respecting the Iranian nation’s rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America.”
Also on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has no plan to meet with Iran’s foreign minister later this week in Singapore. Both are to attend a meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.
Kelly Jean Kelly adapted this story for Learning English based on a report in Reuters. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
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Words in This Story
humiliation - n. a feeling of shame or foolishness
quote - v. write or say the exact words of someone
sanctions - n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.
consequences - n. something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions
deputy - n. an important assistant who helps the leader of a government, organization, etc.
pave - v. to with a material to create a hard, level surface for walking, driving, etc.
bumpy - adj. having or covered with bumps: opposite of smooth
