Iran calls Trump's offer to negotiate a new nuclear deal "a deception"
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei makes a speech during an iftar program. (IRANIAN LEADER PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT)
President Trump's letter to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was delivered on Wednesday by a senior adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a press statement.
Why it matters: Trump said last week that he sent a letter to Khamenei, proposing direct negotiations between the countries on a new nuclear deal.
- Iran said for several days that they haven't received such a letter.
Behind the scenes: According to a source familiar, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visited Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and met with Emirati President Mohammed Bin Zayed.
- The source said Witkoff gave the letter to the Emiratis so they could deliver it to the Iranians.
- An Emirati official declined to comment. The White House and the State Department didn't immediately respond to questions.
What they're saying: Emirati diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi this afternoon, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said.
- Gargash carried the letter from Trump to Khamenei.
Driving the news: Khamenei told a crowd in Tehran on Wednesday that Trump's proposal for negotiations is "a deception" that is only meant to create the impression that Iran refuses to negotiate.
- Khamenei said Iran negotiated with the U.S. for several years in the past but "this same person (Trump) threw the completed, and signed negotiation off the table and tore it up."
- He was referring to Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration. "What kind of negotiation should we have when we know it won't work?" Khamenei said.
Zoom out: The Iranian supreme leader said the Trump administration won't lift sanctions, only make them more severe. He stressed that Iran doesn't want nuclear weapons but added that if it did "America could not stop us."
- He added that Iran doesn't want war but if the U.S. and its "agents" make the wrong move "Iran's retaliation is decisive and the one who will lose the most is America."
Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that it was in a statement to the press (not to Axios directly) that an Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Trump's letter was delivered. This story has also been updated with additional reporting.
