Trump asked Rouhani for meeting 8 times at UN: Official

The chief of staff to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said that his US counterpart Donald Trump asked for a meeting eight times during the UN General Assembly last year.

“During Rouhani’s last visit to New York for the UN General Assembly session, Trump asked the Iranian delegation eight times to have a meeting with the president,” Mahmoud Vaezi told reporters today, according to the conservative Mehr news agency.

He said the Iranian team had not responded to the requests, which came just after Trump announced he would no longer certify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal -- setting the scene for his eventual withdrawal from the pact in May.

“We have a transparent policy and clear position with regard to our relations with the US... That (we) will not yield to pressure,” Vaezi said.

Tehran said back in October that Trump had requested a sit-down with his Iranian counterpart during the UN meeting, but the claim of numerous requests had not previously been made.

Trump has said he is open to talks on a new deal with Iran that goes beyond its nuclear programme to include its regional behaviour and missile defences.