Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 1 august 2018

Iran wary of Trump offer for talks, but not ruling them out

By AMIR VAHDAT vowed to ramp up sanc-
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran re- tions until Iran radically
acted skeptically Tuesday changes its policies, includ-
to President Donald Trump ing its support for the Syrian
saying that he's willing to government and regional
negotiate with his Iranian militant groups, something
counterpart "anytime," but the country's leaders have
top officials did not reject a long refused to do.
sit-down out of hand. Even though Trump said
Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, a there would be "no precon-
senior cleric and member ditions" to talks with Rou-
of the influential Expedi- hani, he also did not walk
ency Council, said Trump's back from any of those
suggestion Monday that he earlier demands.
would be willing to meet With the first U.S. sanctions
with Iranian President Has- due to come into effect
san Rouhani should not be next Monday, the econo-
categorically rejected. my in Iran has already been
"It should be discussed in hit, giving rise to growing
the Supreme National Se- fears of prolonged eco-
curity Council," said Nat- nomic suffering.
egh Nouri, who is also a for- nother round, covering oth-
mer aide to Supreme Lead- er types of commerce, in-
er Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. cluding oil purchases, goes
Nategh Nouri said "we An Iranian woman walks past paintings of a Persian poetry in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, into effect Nov. 4.
July 30, 2018.
have to contemplate" the Associated Press Rouhani on Tuesday again
gesture, but also cautioned suggested Iran could
"we should not rejoice over underway. It was the first Iranian Foreign Minister Mo- tion such a meeting might cause major disruptions
this offer and not get ex- time the presidents of the hammad Javad Zarif noted be in the works. On Mon- in the Gulf region by at-
cited." two countries had spoken on Twitter that Iran and the day, Pompeo met with tempting to block key ship-
"Trump may take advan- since the 1979 Islamic Rev- U.S. had two years of talks Oman's foreign minister in ping lanes, saying "Iran has
tage of this over-excite- olution and the storming leading to the nuclear ac- Washington ahead of his never sought tensions in the
ment," he said, the state- of the U.S. Embassy, which cord. trip to Singapore. Oman, region and does not want
run IRNA news agency re- led to the severing of diplo- "US can only blame itself for which has good ties with there to be any problem
ported. "It could be a test matic ties. pulling out & leaving the both Washington and Teh- for the world's waterways,
for us." In his first public comments table. Threats, sanctions & ran, has served as a facili- but it will never let go of its
Trump pulled the U.S. out of after the remarks, Rouhani PR stunts won't work. Try re- tator of previous talks be- right to export oil," the semi-
a deal with several major himself avoided mention- spect: for Iranians & for int'l tween the U.S. and Iran, official Mehr news agency
powers and Iran earlier this ing Trump's comments, in- commitments," he tweet- notably during the Obama reported.
year that was meant to pre- stead stressing the need for ed. In Washington, a senior administration. With the U.S. sanctions
vent Tehran from develop- the other nations involved State Department official The Iranian leadership has looming, the Iranian cur-
ing nuclear weapons. He's in the nuclear deal to forge said Secretary of State Mike previously ruled out one- rency has been in freefall,
also said, however, that as ahead with their pledges of Pompeo had no plans to on-one talks with Trump, hitting a new low Monday,
renewed sanctions kick in, trying to salvage it. meet with Zarif if they both following his decision to pull at 122,000 to the dollar
he expected Iran would "Today we are at a very participate at an Asian se- the United States out of the on the thriving black mar-
call and offer to return to critical point in history re- curity forum in Singapore deal under which Iran was ket. It recovered slightly to
the negotiating table, and garding the nuclear deal, later this week. given relief from sanctions 115,000 on Tuesday, but
that "we're ready to make and Europe's transparent The official, who was not in return for curbs on its nu- concerns are growing as
a real deal." measures to compensate authorized to publicly dis- clear program. Iranians have seen their
On Monday he said he for the United States' unlaw- cuss Pompeo's schedule, Iran's semi-official ISNA savings dwindle and pur-
could meet with the Irani- ful withdrawal from it are said there were "no plans news agency quoted Rou- chasing power drop.
ans with "no preconditions," very important for the Ira- for any engagement with hani's political adviser Ha- Heshmatollah Falahat-
adding that "if they want nian nation," Rouhani said Iran" at the Association of mid Aboutalebi as saying pisheh, who heads the
to meet, I'll meet anytime after talks with new British Southeast Asian Nations that for talks to happen, parliamentary committee
they want." Ambassador Rob Macaire. Regional Forum. the U.S. needs to rejoin the on national security and
Former President Barack Britain, along with China, Pompeo will be in Singa- deal. foreign policy, suggested
Obama held a brief phone Germany, France, Russia pore for the forum and re- Trump withdrew from the a U.S. return to the nuclear
call with Rouhani in 2013, as and the European Union, lated events on Friday and landmark nuclear accord deal would be needed be-
the talks that led up to the are negotiating with Iran Saturday. in May, saying it was too fore Tehran could think of
nuclear deal were getting on preserving the deal. There had been specula- generous to Iran. He has negotiating.q