Iran waved away U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that talks with the country's leaders were imminent, saying “threats, sanctions and PR stunts won’t work”.
With Washington pulling out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal and set to reimpose full sanctions on Iran from August 6, Tehran has responded coolly to Mr. Trump’s offer on Monday to talk “any time” without preconditions.
“Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won’t work. Try respect: for Iranians & for (international) commitments,” tweeted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
‘Great Satan’
The Revolutionary Guards also made their opposition to talks clear.
“The Iranian people do not authorise officials to meet the Great Satan... Mr. Trump, Iran is not North Korea,” said General Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Guards, in an open letter published in local media. Mr. Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida earlier on Tuesday: “I have a feeling they’ll be talking to us pretty soon... And maybe not, and that’s OK too.”
He used the occasion to again blast the “horrible, one-sided” 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
“It’s a horror show,” Mr. Trump said. “I hope it works out well with Iran. They are having a lot of difficulty right now.”