News Analysis |
U.S President Donald Trump offered to meet Iran’s President Hasan Rouhani without any preconditions the other day which was rejected by both sides later on. Speaking during a joint news conference with Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, and Trump said he would meet Iran “anytime they want to”. “I’ll meet with anybody,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with the meeting.”
Asked whether he would set any preconditions, Trump was clear. “No preconditions, no. If they want to meet, I’ll meet any time they want,” he said. “Good for the country, good for them, good for us and good for the world. No preconditions. If they want to meet, I’ll meet.”
Head of Revolutionary Guards, a faction of Iran’s Armed forces, Mohammed Ali Jafari rejected the offer straight out in an open letter which was published by Fars News Agency. “You will take to the grave this wish that the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran ask you for a meeting, or that they receive their nation’s permission to meet with you.” Jafari said Trump would “never see such a day,” and neither would his successor in the White House.
The coming times are going to be tough for President Rouhani as he was the one who came into the power with the slogan of improving the economic condition of his country. It seems like he will have to do the job once again, but this time the conditions are far worse.
Both the countries, Iran and United States of America are in a row with each other after U.S. President Donald Trump decided to back out of Iran’s nuclear deal, once again leaving Iran vulnerable to severe economic sanctions. Though rest of the signatories vowed to keep the deal alive as Iran was abiding by the terms of the agreement but the United States announced that any country or Multinational Corporation which will continue doing business with Iran will have to face the sanctions too.
Read more: Playing with Fire: Trump’s Iran policy risks cloning North Korea
To demonstrate how seriously the United States sees the matter, it even announced a deadline of November 4, 2018, for countries and MNCs to shift their business. Lack of trade will result in it economic crisis inside Iran, therefore last week, Iran’s president and then the chief of army staff went to the length of saying that Iran could choke the Strait of Hurmuz which affects the trade for UAE and other Gulf countries.
The offer from the US president may seem legit and rational given the limited options which Iran has right now but the likelihood of a meeting or two resulting into a substantial outcome in the best interest of Iran is very low. The United States of America as a country is seen as despicable among the Iranian population and going to sit with American President can be a political nightmare for any Iranian public office holder.
Both the countries, Iran and United States of America are in a row with each other after U.S. President Donald Trump decided to back out of Iran’s nuclear deal, once again leaving Iran vulnerable to severe economic sanctions.
“The people of Iran will never allow their government to negotiate with “the Great Satan,” the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, telling President Trump that he will take his wish “to the grave.” Donald Trump’s offer of a meeting without preconditions was disapproved by his own Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also who said, “If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it’s worthwhile to enter in a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he’s prepared to sit down and have a conversation with him.”
Read more: Trump, Iran drama escalates — via Twitter
It can be said by looking at the response which the President Trump’s offer has got from both sides that the meeting is very unlikely to happen in near future. Iran has already seen what the United States is capable of after the country backed out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement which was reached after years of negotiations. Iran’s currency is already facing serious devaluation which will lead to further inflation and unemployment for its people.
The reason Iran surrendered the ambition of becoming a nuclear power in the first place was the similar situation where it had to choose between economic stability and a nuclear bomb. The coming times are going to be tough for President Rouhani as he was the one who came into the power with the slogan of improving the economic condition of his country. It seems like he will have to do the job once again, but this time the conditions are far worse.