Iran: No talks with Trump unless U.S. rejoins nuclear deal

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian officials said Tuesday there would be no direct talks with President Donald Trump unless he rejoins the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Since Trump’s decision to abandon the agreement, Iran’s economy has been driven deeper into turmoil and its currency to record lows against the dollar.

A day after Trump said he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions, an adviser to Rouhani indicated that the Islamic Republic could not trust an administration that unilaterally withdrew from the landmark nuclear pact.

“Respecting the Iranian nation’s rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America,” said the adviser, Hamid Aboutalebi, according to the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency.

“Those who believe in dialogue as a method of resolving disputes in civilized societies should be committed to the means,” he said.

The rhetorical hostilities began last week after Rouhani was quoted as saying, “America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”

Trump fired back in nearly all capital letters on Twitter, warning Rouhani to “never, ever threaten the United States again,” and that doing so would bring “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.”

Then, in a news conference Monday at the White House, Trump said he’d meet with Iranian leaders “any time.”