Iran said it has given a "restrained" response to a letter by US President Donald Trump proposing direct talks over a new nuclear deal, as Tehran continues to insist on indirect negotiations.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on March 27 that Iran delivered its formal written response to Trump via Oman, maintaining that Tehran will not hold direct negotiations as long as Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign is in effect.
"This official response includes a letter in which our position regarding the current situation and Mr. Trump's letter has been fully explained to the other party," Araqchi said.
SEE ALSO: Decision Time For Iran After Delivery Of Trump LetterTrump’s letter was delivered to Iran by an Emirati official on March 12. Some observers have argued that Iran’s decision to reply via Oman was due to concerns over the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Others, however, have pointed to Trump’s rapport with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that Israel will be made aware of the contents of Iran’s letter by Washington.
SEE ALSO: US Strikes On Yemen's Houthis A Message To IranReports say Trump’s letter included a proposal for direct negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and threats that failure to reach a deal would have severe consequences. Washington has not ruled out air strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
Indirect Talks A No-Go
Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran’s response was “restrained.”
“It has been said in the letter that Iran is ready for indirect negotiations and if talks are held on equal footing, there is readiness to take further steps to negotiate,” said Shamkhani, a former national-security adviser.
Ali Vaez, Iran Program director at the International Crisis Group, says Tehran’s insistence on indirect talks will not go down well in Washington because Trump cares about the optics of face-to-face negotiations.
“Trump has no interest in indirect negotiations,” Vaez told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda. “Any indirect talks through mediators, no matter how good they progress, will be vulnerable.”
Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian ambassador to Germany, wrote on X that he believes Iran delivered “an ambiguous response” and “addressed all the key points in Trump’s letter.”
SEE ALSO: With Proxies Weakened, Iran Banks On Missiles For DeterrenceVaez, however, criticized Iran’s negotiation tactics, arguing that decision-makers in Tehran “have no understanding” of how Trump operates.
“You cannot be ambiguous with Trump and his representatives. This type of diplomacy doesn’t work with this administration,” he said, adding that Iran needs to table a clear proposal for direct talks.
“Iran’s approach is a waste of time, and in the worst-case scenario, it’ll bring us to a dead-end where you can no longer have a peaceful resolution,” Vaez said.
The Islamic republic insists its nuclear program is peaceful, but there have been growing calls among hard-liners to weaponize it.
Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran during his first term in office, arguing that it did not go far enough to rein in Iran's threat, such as restricting its missile program and ending support for its regional proxies.
Iran says it is willing to talk to lift US sanctions, but it has categorically ruled out talks over the missile program and regional activities.