Donald Trump snubbed as Iran 'rejects' US push for nuclear talks

Donald Trump has been snubbed by Iran after pushing for top-level talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed. Pezeshkian said Tehran had rejected the possibility of direct negotiations despite receiving a letter from his US counterpart.

The remarks mark the first official acknowledgement of Iran’s response to the US President’s diplomatic outreach. Pezeshkian said: “Although the possibility of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected in this response, it has been emphasised that the path for indirect negotiations remains open.” However, it remains unclear whether Mr Trump would accept such an approach, given that years of indirect diplomacy since his withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal have failed to produce results.

Mr Trump’s attempt to engage Iran comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, with fears of military escalation growing. Both the US and Israel have repeatedly vowed that Iran will never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as Tehran continues enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels—a threshold previously reached only by nuclear-armed states.

While Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes, officials in Tehran have increasingly hinted at the possibility of pursuing a nuclear bomb as pressure from Western sanctions mounts. The rejection of direct talks is the latest development in a rapidly deteriorating regional situation. The US has intensified airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, while clashes between Iranian-backed militias and American forces have escalated in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, the ongoing war in Gaza has further strained US-Iran relations, with Washington backing Israel’s offensive against Iran-backed Hamas.

Mr Trump’s renewed push for talks follows a report from the UN’s nuclear watchdog in February, which revealed that Iran had accelerated its production of highly enriched uranium.

The findings reinforced concerns that Tehran is edging closer to developing nuclear weapons, despite longstanding international efforts to prevent such an outcome.

Mr Trump’s first term in office saw a dramatic shift in US-Iran relations, beginning with his 2018 decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.

The move reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran, severely impacting its economy and prompting Iran to escalate its nuclear activities in retaliation.

The years that followed saw repeated confrontations, including suspected Iranian attacks on oil tankers, drone strikes against Saudi oil facilities, and tit-for-tat military exchanges with the US.

One of the most significant moments of Mr Trump’s presidency came in January 2020, when he ordered the drone strike which killed Iran’s top military commander, General Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad.

The assassination sparked fears of all-out war between the US and Iran, leading to retaliatory missile strikes on American bases in Iraq.