Iran’s representative at the United Nations has rebutted President Trump’s assertion. On Wednesday, Iran dismissed Trump as a “has-been warmonger,” emphasizing its desire for negotiations with the U.S. to resolve the ongoing conflict with Israel.
“Iranian officials have never requested me to hit the gates of the White House,” the envoy stated in a post on social media. “Negotiations shouldn’t be conducted under pressure, nor should peace be accepted when it’s forced upon us, especially not by someone clinging to their relevance.”
The post further clarified that Iran would respond to any perceived threats, especially those considered provocative.
Trump, during a separate event at the White House just before the envoy’s post, told reporters that Iranian officials had reached out to him about wanting to “negotiate.”
“They expressed interest in coming to the White House, which takes a lot of courage,” he remarked. “But I questioned why they didn’t reach out earlier to avoid all this chaos and destruction.”
“We might meet, I can’t say for sure,” he added.
The White House has yet to respond to inquiries regarding Iran’s statements on social media.
In a broader context, Trump indicated he would align with Israel in efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, though specifics were left unexplained.
He mentioned, “I’m not certain how long this strategy will take. They’re quite vulnerable,” in comments made outside the White House.
Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites have disrupted what was anticipated to be a new round of negotiations with Tehran, originally planned for this weekend.
Trump has been vocal about his commitment to prevent the Iranian government, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, from developing nuclear weapons, while Iran maintains that its uranium enrichment is for civilian use.
During his remarks on Wednesday, Trump noted that the U.S. had given Iran a 60-day window to finalize a deal, which expired shortly before Israel escalated its actions against the nation.
“Keep in mind 60 days—61 is going to be a notable number,” he stated. “That initial hit was significant.”
He candidly admitted, “To be honest, this approach isn’t sustainable. It fizzled out almost immediately.”
