Iran dismisses claims of receiving US message

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Jan 2025 15:42
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran has received no messages from the US while continuing dialogue with Europe and seeking genuine commitment for negotiations.

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Iran's President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at the shrine of the late revolutionary founder Sayyed Khomeini, just outside Tehran, on July 6, 2024. (AP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Tehran has not yet received any communication from Washington. When asked about any messages from the US, Pezeshkian responded, "No, we have not received a message so far."

Likewise, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned that no direct message has been sent or received from Trump regarding negotiations with Iran.

Araghchi stated, "Dialogue with Europe is ongoing, and we are waiting for the positions of the other side." He added that if Iran chooses to engage in negotiations, it must see genuine commitment from Europe, not just their words.

In a recent interview for Sky News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed his willingness to listen to US President Trump but emphasized that Iran would need much more than just talk to be persuaded to engage in negotiations.

Trump signals unexpected shift in Iran policy

President Donald Trump has signaled an unexpected shift in the conventional US policy regarding Iran, revealing that the only issue his administration would face with the Islamic Republic is its development of a nuclear weapon.

Speaking on Fox News’ Hannity show on January 23, Trump did not address Iran's regional policies, its defiance of the Israeli occupation, or the possibility of enforcing a regime change. Rather, his only focus was preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

On January 24, Trump stated that the Iranian nuclear crisis could be resolved without "Israel" needing to take military action against Iran. This came as reports surfaced that Trump plans to appoint his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, as the lead negotiator for handling Iran's nuclear program diplomatically.

When asked about supporting Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump initially declined to answer but later said, "Hopefully that can be worked out without having to worry about it. It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step."

Trump added, "Iran will hopefully make a deal, and if they don’t make a deal, that’s okay too." His administration has signaled a preference for diplomacy over military strikes to address Iran's nuclear ambitions.