‘Do whatever the hell you want’: Iranian president rejects talks with Trump

TEHRAN / ISTANBUL

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said that he would not negotiate with the Trump administration in the US, saying: “Do whatever the hell you want.”

"If you're threatening me, I won't negotiate—do whatever the hell you want," Pezeshkian said during an event in Tehran on Trump’s threats against Iran.

Criticizing Trump's treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Pezeshkian said: “One really feels ashamed of what Trump did to Zelenskyy."

On Saturday, Iran dismissed claims by US President Donald Trump that he had sent a letter to Tehran proposing nuclear talks with Tehran.

Trump said in a statement Friday that he hoped Iran would enter negotiations. "I said I hope you're going to negotiate because it's going to be a lot better for Iran," he said, before warning Tehran of potential military action.

In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

Despite complying with the nuclear agreement for over a year after the US withdrawal, Iran gradually reduced its commitments, citing the failure of the deal’s remaining signatories to protect its interests.