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US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader is not possible, a close aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has said. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Khamenei, said such a meeting would not happen and accused Trump of bringing the negotiations to a standstill.
Trump, on June 3, had expressed interest in meeting Khamenei, saying that while he may not be the Supreme Leader’s favourite person, he would be ‘honoured’ and ‘respectful’ if given the opportunity to meet him.
“I don’t want to meet, but if I did meet, I’d be honored to meet him. I’d like to see if we make a deal, but if we make a deal, it’s possible that I would meet him. I’d be okay with it,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Rezaei told CNN, in an interview, that Trump is not doing enough to win Iran’s trust, which is why the negotiations have reached a deadlock. He said that to break the impasse, the US must release Iran’s frozen assets worth $24 billion, an amount he described as insignificant for Americans but important for Iran. He also reiterated that the US must stop the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as a sign of goodwill and trust-building.
“This is a sign of trust-building. If Trump takes the negotiations seriously, $24 billion is not much to America. If Trump wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have. This is the test that America must pass and the path will be open. This is our own money, not America’s,” Rezaei said.
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Rezaei said that if no agreement is reached with the Americans, Iran is not worried about prolonging the conflict. He said Tehran’s next course of action would be to expand the war into the Indian Ocean and target US bases in the region.
“If the war continues and the naval blockade is not lifted, we will drag the war to the Indian Ocean, to the Bab al-Mandab, to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases,” he said.
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Rezaei also said that Trump should not prioritise his personal interests over those of the American people and should make decisions independently of Israel.
“Trump must make decisions independently of Israel. He must give the Iranian people what is rightfully theirs, stop the blockade, and release our frozen assets. This can open a new horizon for the future of Iran and America. Trump must put aside his personal interests and think about the interests of the American people. If he has the courage, many issues will be resolved in the future,” Rezaei said.
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