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Revealing a fresh twist in the volatile West Asian situation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday disclosed that Tehran has "received messages" from the United States expressing willingness to persist with negotiations, despite Donald Trump calling Iran's proposal a "piece of garbage".
Speaking at a media briefing in the national capital during his visit for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Araghchi noted that the recent public dismissal of Tehran's overtures by US President Trump was a snapshot of a fast-moving situation. "What was said about the United States rejecting Iran's proposal, or Iran rejecting the American proposal, relates to a few days ago, when Mr Trump tweeted that it was unacceptable," Araghchi explained. Referencing the fallout from Iran's response to a US framework intended to halt hostilities, the diplomat claimed the backchannel remains active. "But after that, we received messages again from the Americans saying they are willing to continue the talks and maintain engagement," he added. This disclosure stands in stark contrast to President Trump's recent scathing assessment, where he labelled Iran's 14-point peace proposal a "piece of garbage" and warned that the ceasefire initiated on April 8 was "on massive life support" and "unbelievably weak." Iran submitted the peace proposal to the United States on May 10. Trump had dismissively told reporters, "I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it." However, Araghchi struck a defiant tone, asserting that Tehran has "no trust in the Americans," and argued that Washington only pivots to the negotiating table when military options falter. "Now, after 40 days of war, when the US became hopeless of achieving any goal in their aggression against Iran, they offered negotiation," Araghchi remarked. He further contended, "We have no trust in Americans. This is the main obstacle in the way of any diplomatic effort. We have every reason not to trust Americans, while they have no reason not to trust us." Describing the current cessation of hostilities as "very shaky," the Iranian Foreign Minister maintained that Tehran is attempting to prevent a total collapse of the peace process. "We are now in a state of ceasefire, although it's very shaky. But we are trying to keep it to give diplomacy a chance," he stressed. Sending a firm message to the West, Araghchi concluded that "there is no military solution to anything related to Iran," adding that the Islamic Republic remains immune to intimidation. "They have tested us time and again. We never bow to any pressure or threat. We also resist any sanction. Iranian people only answer to the language of respect," he stated. The conflict, which ignited following joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, remains at a critical juncture after previous high-stakes talks in Islamabad failed to deliver a definitive breakthrough. (ANI)
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