Iran Signals No Talks With Trump Administration Until End of His Presidency
TEHRAN:Iran has indicated that it will not hold any form of negotiations with the administration of US President Donald Trump until the end of his current term in office.
According to Iranian media, the indication was given by Majid Shakri, head of the Iranian negotiating team and an adviser to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, during a media briefing.
Shakri said the Iranian government would prefer to wait until Trump’s term ends rather than seek an agreement with the current US administration.
He added that Trump would not be able to reach a deal with Iran because Tehran intends to maintain its current policy until the end of his presidency.
According to Shakri, Iran’s current strategy is neither a full-scale war nor an immediate agreement. Instead, Tehran aims to manage a situation in which there is “neither war nor peace” until Iran achieves its objectives.
The Iranian official said formally confirming negotiations with the United States would be detrimental to Tehran. He argued that Iran’s better strategy was to deny negotiations, maintain ambiguity and exercise strategic patience.
According to media reports, Iran has not changed its key demands for any potential agreement with Washington. These reportedly include $300 billion in compensation, the restoration of Iran’s frozen assets and the withdrawal of US forces from the region.
The remarks come amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and uncertainty over the prospects for renewed diplomatic engagement between the two sides.
