DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A letter U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme chief in an try to jump-start talks over Tehran’s quickly advancing nuclear program has arrived within the Iranian capital.
Whereas the textual content of the letter hasn’t been revealed, its arrival comes as Trump levied new sanctions on Iran as a part of his “maximum pressure” marketing campaign focusing on the nation. He additionally advised navy motion towards Iran remained a risk, whereas emphasizing he nonetheless believed a brand new deal could possibly be reached.
Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has mocked Trump, however officers in his nation even have supplied conflicting indicators over whether or not negotiations might happen.
Right here’s what to know concerning the letter, Iran’s nuclear program and the general tensions which have stalked relations between Tehran and Washington because the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Why did Trump write the letter?
Trump dispatched the letter to Khamenei on March 5, then gave a tv interview the following day through which he acknowledged sending it. He mentioned: “I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing.’” Since returning to the White Home, the president has been pushing for talks whereas concurrently ratcheting up sanctions and suggesting a navy strike by Israel or the U.S. might goal Iranian nuclear websites.
A earlier letter from Trump throughout his first time period drew an indignant retort from the supreme chief.
However Trump’s letters to North Korean chief Kim Jong Un in his first time period led to face-to-face conferences, although no offers to restrict Pyongyang’s atomic bombs and a missile program able to reaching the continental U.S.
How has Iran reacted?
Iran has supplied a collection of seemingly contradictory responses. Khamenei himself mentioned he wasn’t taken with talks with a “bullying government.”
However Iranian diplomats together with International Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier advised that talks over ensures that Tehran wouldn’t search a nuclear weapon could possibly be doable. Araghchi, who took half in negotiations for Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, later toughened his tone and mentioned talks couldn’t occur underneath U.S. strain, following Khamenei’s lead.
Nonetheless, Araghchi nonetheless met with the Emirati diplomat carrying Trump’s letter.
In the meantime, Iran’s International Ministry on Thursday summoned ambassadors from France and Germany, in addition to the British chargé d’affaires, to complain about them backing a closed-door Safety Council assembly Wednesday on the United Nations.
Why does Iran’s nuclear program fear the West?
Iran has insisted for many years that its nuclear program is peaceable. Nonetheless, its officers more and more threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to close weapons-grade ranges of 60%, the one nation on the planet with out a nuclear weapons program to take action.
Underneath the unique 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to complement uranium solely as much as 3.67% purity and to keep up a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 kilos). The final report by the Worldwide Atomic Power Company on Iran’s program put its stockpile at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 kilos) because it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity.
U.S. intelligence companies assess that Iran has but to start a weapons program, however has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.”
Why are relations so dangerous between Iran and the U.S.?
Iran was as soon as one of many U.S.’s prime allies within the Mideast underneath Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who bought American navy weapons and allowed CIA technicians to run secret listening posts monitoring the neighboring Soviet Union. The CIA had fomented a 1953 coup that cemented the shah’s rule.
However in January 1979, the shah, fatally in poor health with most cancers, fled Iran as mass demonstrations swelled towards his rule. The Islamic Revolution adopted, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and created Iran’s theocratic authorities.
