‘Brought negotiations to…’: Top Iranian official reveals why a Trump-Khamenei meet-up is unlikely | World

While Donald Trump has shown a keen interest in meeting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, a top Iranian official has said that a meet-up between the US President and Iran’s Supreme Leader is unlikely, as the former is responsible for bringing the peace negotiations to a “standstill”. 

In an interview with a US media outlet that was published on Friday, Khamenei’s military adviser Mohsen Rezaei said the “ball is in Trump’s court” and he needs to break the “deadlock” that is there between the two sides. He warned that Iran is ready to “drag the war” and expand it beyond the Persian Gulf, blaming the US for the conflict.

“This will not happen, right now we are in the first stage of negotiations and Mr. Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill. This will not happen,” he told CNN when asked about Trump showing interest in meeting Khamenei.

Last week, Trump had shown interest in meeting the Ayatollah and even claimed that Iran has agreed to pause its nuclear programme, which remains the biggest contentious point between Washington and Tehran. However, Iran was quick to refutes Trump’s nuclear claims.

Iran’s frozen assets, nuclear programme and Hormuz

Rezaei believes that if Trump wants an end to the conflict, then the US must release the frozen Iranian assets. He said the assets belongs to Iranian people and it is not “America’s money”. He also reiterated Iran’s claims on the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran would charge a maintenance fee on vessels transiting through the waterway.

But on the contrary, the US is planning to use the frozen Iranian assets to help its Gulf partners recover from the conflict that started on February 28. The US has reportedly asked its Gulf allies to submit details regarding the damages they incurred due to Iranian attacks.

Regarding Hormuz, Washington’s stance is clear: the waterway must remain open for everyone. 

It now remains to be seen how long would the conflict drag on, as both sides have remained firm on their demands. Trump, though, has said he is hopeful of a solution and believes that the conflict will likely end soon. 

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