Media: Iran views US negotiation offers as ruse

Iranian officials have told Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye—countries that offered to mediate talks with the United States—that they do not trust the sincerity of President Donald Trump’s proposals for negotiations, Axios reports, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

According to the source, Iranian representatives emphasised that Trump has tricked them twice already, and they do not want to be “fooled again.”

Officials noted that US troop movements and Trump’s supposed plan to send substantial reinforcements to the Middle East reinforce suspicions that the White House’s negotiation offers are a ruse.

On March 23, Trump said the US had engaged in talks with Iran, after which he imposed a five-day moratorium on strikes against the Islamic Republic’s energy facilities. Tehran denies any contact with Washington.

Previously, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters reported, citing sources, that the US plans to deploy an additional 3,000 troops to the Middle East, though a decision to enter Iran has not yet been made.

In February, the US and Iran held three rounds of negotiations, discussing, among other issues, Iran’s nuclear program. The first round took place on February 6 in Muscat, and the second and third rounds were held on February 17 and 26 in Geneva. Two days after the final round, the US and Israel carried out attacks on Iran.

By Jeyhun Aghazada