Iran: We Rejected Trump's Push For A Secret Face To Face Meeting

Tyler Durden's picture

The White House has denied reports that President Trump requested an unprecedented face-to-face meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

On Sunday the Associated Press reported the claim of Iran's foreign ministry, initially issued through Iranian state television, that the White House approached the Iranian delegation with a request for the meeting. The meeting request was said to have been made a day after Trump gave a fiery speech before the UN assembly which included denouncing Iran as a state-sponsor of terror and a "corrupt dictatorship" which spreads violence across the Middle East - a speech which many saw as a closer step toward the unraveling of the Iranian nuclear deal brokered under Obama.

Though the two heads of state haven't communicated directly since 2013, when then President Obama spoke to Rouhani by telephone, which provoked a reaction by Iranian hardliners, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said over the weekend that, “a request indeed was made by the U.S. side but it wasn’t accepted by President Rouhani.”

Soon after reports of the rebuffed meeting were circulated, the White House told The Hill that the Iranian official's account "is false" while not elaborating further. If Iran's account of the events are true, it would put the Trump White House in a highly embarrassing position of weakness regarding it's tough stance on the nuclear deal - Trump has been aggressively critical of the deal, yet has stopped short of taking concrete steps to pull the plug altogether.

However, last week Congress passed a series of bills which took aim at Iran's ballistic missile program, which critics point out was never part of the deal to begin with, apparently in a move to undermine the deal. On Wednesday and Thursday of last week Congress also took aim at both Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanese Hezbollah - long seen as a proxy arm of Shiite Iran - through the The Iran Ballistic Missiles and Sanctions Enforcement Act and the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act.

But while the US has made moves to undermine the 2015 nuclear deal, Europe has largely stuck by Iran while to some degree isolating Trump over what European partners perceive as attempts to weaken and back out of the agreement - the international powers backing the deal include the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany. Rumors that France's Emmanuel Macron had been attempting to mediate between the US and Iran were denied by Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday, according to Bloomberg

Meanwhile, Tehran has repeatedly affirmed its position that the existing terms of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the nuclear deal) are non-negotiable, and reiterated to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency over the weekend that it would continue to comply with the terms of the deal and wouldn't be the first to abandon it, perhaps in a subtle passing reference to the United States. 

Iran's Rouhani previously warned, prior to Trump's UN speech, that US abandonment of the deal would come at a "high cost" to Washington. And Rouhani's own September speech before the UN assembly included a fierce reaction to Trump's address, calling Trump a "rogue newcomer" bringing "ugly, ignorant words"

But the fact that Iran chose to make public it's version of events over the weekend - that it rejected a secret face-to-face dialogue with Trump - at the very least shows that Iran feels increasingly confident it has the backing of other world powers that are part of the deal. The information is most certainly designed to make the US administration look bad as Rouhani may be calling Trump's bluff.

Trump's September speech condemning Iran was likely part of a broader "carrot and stick" approach: a strategy which would perhaps involve publicly signalling escalation of hostilities designed to induce the Iranian president to agree to the "reward" of secretive direct talks. But Rouhani knows that as soon as he's in the room with the American president it's a diplomatic win for the US as the bar can be moved apart from other signatory countries of the JCPOA (or Rouhani's own words at that point could be later used against Iran).

It appears Rouhani didn't fall into the trap, however, and the weekend revelations coming out of Iranian state media are perhaps a way of rubbing it in while asserting a new Iranian confidence on the world stage.

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TheLastTrump's picture

And? What's the point?

nmewn's picture

Just page filler until Grand Inquisitor Mueller announces his indictment against Manafort, for something done years before the 2016 election.

Cuz..."Putin colluded with Trump during the 2016 election!"...or sumpin...lol.

Greyhat's picture

The shadow government shows Trump they can smear him and undermine his tactics.

nmewn's picture

Yezzz, from what they're telling me, Vermonts power grid was hacked by Russia, Comey is a true patriot because he stole government docs, gave them to a friend and committed perjury, Clapper is the pinnacle of sobriety & competence in not knowing any of the above so there is obviously nothing inherently wrong with having a communist (Brennan) in charge of the CIA as it makes Libya into a failed state and then ships weapons into Syria creating a refugee wave into Europe.

Not to mention Hillary deleting tens of thousands of emails on an illegal server while accepting millions into "her charity" before, during and after the Uranium One deal while Holder was running guns into Mexico and Obama subsidizes billionaires in the light bulb and "health care" industry.

Just another day in the lives of the Deep State.

And don't forget...peeing Russian prostitutes!!!...lol.

Dormouse's picture

NO! I WILL NOT MAKE OUT WITH YOU!
—Billy Madison

nmewn's picture

Go crazy with the cheese whiz! ;-)

“An investigation by the House Judiciary Committee last Congress revealed the Department of Justice’s abuse of power: using settlement agreements to direct money away from victims toward organizations of their choosing and away from those they disliked. DOJ’s actions contradict the spending power given explicitly to the Legislative Branch and undermine Congress’s most effective tool to hold the Executive Branch accountable. Regardless of which party is in the White House, subverting Congress to funnel money to outside organizations is unacceptable and unconstitutional.

“I applaud the passage of this bipartisan bill that bans settlement payments to non-victim third parties permanently for future administrations. There should be no excuse or justification for this banned behavior, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to defend Congress’s constitutional interests and support H.R. 732.”

BennyBoy's picture

 

President Rouhani declined to meet with the world's #1 state sponsor of terror.

The US/CIA.

falconflight's picture

I appreciate your avatar.  Have that on my vehicles.

Shemp 4 Victory's picture

 

Just another day in the lives of the Deep State.

A beautifully concise and accurate summary.

And don't forget...peeing Russian prostitutes!!!...lol.

Everything that happens in the US happens by the will of Putin, and those who deny it are surely agents of Putin, who hide the true role of Putin in the US, where everything happens by the will of Putin. And so the circle is complete.

1 Alabama's picture

you know, some of those generals were in the same bed as hillary, and while your back was turned, they did some awful nasty stuff

Paul Kersey's picture

"Swamp Things: More Than 50% of President Trump’s Nominees Have Ties to the Industries They’re Supposed to Regulate

The president has turned federal agencies over to the very CEOs, lobbyists, and lawyers whom they are supposed to regulate."

From the Daily Beast

nmewn's picture

Personally, I won't be happy until three quarters of all federal agencies are abolished. 

JRobby's picture

Dept. Of Education

Ran education into the dirt in 30 years. It used to be a profession. Now it's a hospitality business model..

falconflight's picture

A tool of true indoctrination and a voting block financed by the ones they are raping, the TaxPayer.

falconflight's picture

As opposed to Marxist Ideologues in the Osama Adminstration?  Meh

Shemp 4 Victory's picture

 

Cuz..."Putin colluded with Trump during the 2016 election!"...or sumpin...lol.

And how can we be sure that Hillary didn't conspire with Trump, via Putin, to deliberately throw the election?! It sure ties up a lot of loose ends.

abyssinian's picture

Fake news cause Trump only Tweets, he would never do face to face.

thunderchief's picture

The Art  of Fucking up the Deal..

JRobby's picture

Oil, and the violence it triggers

africoman's picture

The point is you are Kos khol

kemosabe?

shutterbug's picture

Lesson 1: Do Not speak extremely bad in public of some country and then expect them to talk in secret ...

Trump has the worst advisors possible in his government. By incompetence or by conflicts of interests... probably both.

44_shooter's picture

Real lesson # 1 don’t believe POS world leaders when they open their mouths “publicly”

nmewn's picture

"It appears Rouhani didn't fall into the trap, however, and the weekend revelations coming out of Iranian state media are perhaps a way of rubbing it in while asserting a new Iranian confidence on the world stage."

You know, I used to laugh and mock any country as totalitarian nutcases where the term "___ state media" was applied. Until I observed that is exactly what we have here with CNN, NBC, CBS etc.

We just have moar choices in our state propaganda ;-)

BennyBoy's picture

 

Real reason meeting not happening:

Sanctions wont allow breath mints into Iran.

JibjeResearch's picture

The power of being able to trade oil without the USD... BAwahah ahahahahah

ThinkAgain's picture

Iran should no longer be submissive to the tricks of the NeoCons. The NeoCons will try to box Iran endless into submission. Iran should just build its economy independent of the USA. See http://www.planck.org/downloads/Iran-National-Economic-Plan.pdf. PS: The EU starts regarding to Iran to move independent of the USA. A market of 90 million highly educated people is not something to ignore is their vision.

falconflight's picture

Highly educated?  Getting better but still not quite 21st Century.  And if US education is becoming more indoctrination than education, just imagine the Ayatollah's education.  Separation of Church and State...bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

http://www.mei.edu/content/educational-attainment-iran

 

Miss Informed's picture

Good for them. All they were going to get out of that was more threats and more Jewwy nonsense anyway.

NuYawkFrankie's picture

ZOG-USSA --> The Empire Of Imbeciles

(As if FURTHER confirmation was needed!)

Last of the Middle Class's picture

It's a fucking meeting, what's the point of the entire article?

messystateofaffairs's picture

Americas Jewish bosses do not allow discourse with Iran, Nuttyjoohoo will have none of that. Their boy Obama gave them a nice fuck you shot with the Iran deal and the UN abstinence on Jewland raids on Palestinian lands. I think it must have been a black pride thing that made him do it, it's hard to always gave to look at an Uncle Tom in the mirror. Sorry Rahm.

messystateofaffairs's picture

Trump's September speech condemning Iran was likely part of a broader "carrot and stick" approach: 

Some people don't respond to sticks at all and a growing few no longer consume Kosher carrots as they are known to contain pervasive slow acting poisons.

Debugas's picture

Trump is acting like businessman and does not understand that politics is different

It is ok to push your business partner into the corner before starting the negotiations

But it does not work in politics

BobEore's picture

The point is this...

over the last 72 hour period, we've seen an interesting conjuntion of signals which indicate that the media masterz here are ready to change tracks...

or

in other words... channel their vassal viewers(zhepples, by any other name)onto a new* track///

which will lead them into an amusing transition from |down with Srael!| of the current moment in time...

to |Hurrah for Sionism ... and the new Jerusalem|!!!!
Skeptical? Seem like a 'tall order'??? Hey... jus fasten yur seat belts, an enjoy the ride.

With 9/10ths of the muddled east ALREADY on board with the new Sraeli-led petro cartel... yu know plenty other muttons be ridin along wit yas!

Jordan? In da bag/Turkey? in da bag/Iraq? Bagged n loaded/Iran? don't look now!!!!

https://storify.com/SuaveBel/gold-for-oil-oil-for-blood-chapter-ten

Now... I knows youse a big big sionist fan there "Last Trump" ster... so, don't take this personal - but ... Sreal and Persia are hand in glove - and have been... ever since the days of Zorastrianism and the Babylon Sistas! |Writings - "on the wall"|

"DEATH TO AMERICA" (1979 VERSION)was "made in Tel Aviv" ... fake mullahs... phony rebbes... what's an exceptionalist dupe to make of it all?

BobEore's picture

It's clearly 'mission critical' for the exceptionalist fanbouys of the phony muddled eastern storyline on daily display here...

to keep the lid on reportage about the real events taking place here.

Your efforts, along with those of your media masterz... all will prove to be in vain. Until then, feel free to keep up the barrage of insults and attempts to discredit the only journalist left reporting from ground level the real story going on here.

https://storify.com/SuaveBel/requiem-for-the-media

All water off a ducks' back to me.

africoman's picture

Hear hear for the cynicism,

Everything isn't always what it seems, better keep watching as stuff unfolding.

Zepper's picture

I knew the Iranian government was stupid but not having a face to face with Trump is a whole new level of stupid. Don't blame Trump when the fucking bombs start dropping on your heads. The guy tried.

ThinkAgain's picture

The funny part of all of this is that Israel and Iran used to be best friends. They had plans to supply Iranian oil via Israel to Europe: https://www.google.com/search?q=iran+israel+1.1+billion. Iran supplied the most part of Israeli oil demand. Plus they worked tight together in military/nuclear/agricultural/diplomatic/security affairs. The removal of the Shah was what changed it.

 

Victor999's picture

Iran and Israel were never 'best friends'.  The Shah was an American dupe who forcibly carried out American/Israeli policy against the will of the Iranian people.  The people of Iran showed clearly how they felt about America and Israel when they overthrew the despicable Shah.

Cardinal Fang's picture

Ha, and so how well did Ayatolla Khomeini work out for 'the Iranian people'?

 

ShakenNotStirred's picture

I see the Iranian people are very happy with their government.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2nnui7

falconflight's picture

Well that was a generation ago, and the world is a different place.  Israel is now all but energy self sufficient.  

falconflight's picture

Call out to the Putinista, Muslim, Buchenwald Oven Operator Union members....you sissies down voting, you can't assert a single factoid countering my post.  I own you, as usual.