Trump sends diplomatic letter to Iran via UAE adviser

A letter from US President Donald Trump to Iran's clerical leadership will be delivered by Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, according to an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson.

Trump had previously revealed that he sent a letter to Tehran last week, urging the Iranian government to enter talks regarding a new nuclear agreement, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Gargash was scheduled to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Wednesday, although Iranian state media did not provide further details on the discussion.

Meanwhile, Iran is preparing for a fifth round of negotiations with the European powers involved in the 2015 nuclear deal—France, Britain, and Germany. A meeting with Russia and China, the remaining parties to the agreement, is set to take place in Beijing on March 14.

To recall, on March 11, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that the country would not engage in negotiations with the U.S. under threat, stating, "Do whatever the hell you want," according to Iranian state media on Tuesday. Pezeshkian added, "It is unacceptable for us that they (the U.S.) give orders and make threats. I won’t even negotiate with you."

This follows a statement from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who emphasized on Saturday that Tehran would not be pressured into talks. The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he had sent a letter urging Iran to discuss a new nuclear deal.

While Trump has expressed openness to a deal, he has reinstated the "maximum pressure" campaign, aiming to isolate Iran economically and reduce its oil exports. In an interview with Fox Business last week, Trump stated, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal" to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran denies it seeks nuclear weapons but has increased uranium enrichment to up to 60% purity, near the weapons-grade threshold of around 90%, according to the IAEA. The country has escalated its nuclear activities since 2019, following Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the reimposition of sanctions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev