Emirati diplomat delivers Trump’s letter to Iran

By Mohammed Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) – An Emirati diplomat delivered a letter from US President Donald Trump to Iran’s foreign minister, Iranian media said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi received the letter during a meeting with Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei confirmed early Wednesday that Gargash would deliver the message.

On Friday, Trump said that he sent a letter to Iran’s leadership to negotiate a nuclear deal.

"I said I hope you're going to negotiate because it's going to be a lot better for Iran," he said, before warning Tehran of potential military action.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for his part, denounced what he called “bullying tactics” after Trump’s threats.

"The insistence of some bullying powers on holding talks with Iran does not aim to solve issues but rather aims to assert and impose their own expectations,” said Khamenei. "Absolutely, the Islamic Republic will not accept their expectations."

In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Despite complying with the nuclear agreement for over a year after the US withdrawal, Iran gradually reduced its commitments, citing the failure of the deal’s remaining signatories to protect its interests.