Trump has no plans to meet with Iran leader

NEW YORK – President Donald Trump closed the door on a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations General Assembly, saying Tuesday he had no plans to hold such a meeting this week. Trump wrote that “despite requests,” he did not foresee the meeting taking place, even though Iran – and its nuclear program – is likely to be a central issue for Trump when he chairs a high-profile meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. “Maybe someday in the future,” Trump posted on Twitter. “I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!” Hours earlier, Rouhani said he would not meet with Trump. In an interview with NBC News, Rouhani said, “There is no such program for a meeting.” He accused the Trump administration of escalating tensions between the two countries. In the days leading up to the U.N. meetings, White House aides suggested Trump might take a meeting with Rouhani if one was requested, but he wasn’t actively seeking it. The United States broke with allies by pulling out of a nuclear agreement with Iran in May. France and other signatories sought to retain the deal. Trump reimposed tough economic sanctions that were lifted as part of the nuclear agreement, and more stringent penalties are set to take effect in November. “The United States is not capable of bringing our oil exports to zero,” Rouhani said. “It’s a threat that is empty of credibility. Perhaps on this path, we will sustain certain pressures, but certainly the United States will not reach its objective.”

Hassan Rouhani