Iranian president refuses negotiations with US, tells Trump: 'Do whatever the hell you want’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would not negotiate with the United States while being threatened, Iran's state media reported on Tuesday. 

"It is unacceptable for us that they [the U.S.] give orders and make threats. I won’t even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying. 

In the Iranian regime, the president does not control foreign policy, which is determined by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

On Saturday, Khamenei said Iran would not be bullied into negotiations, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he had sent a letter to Khamenei proposing talks on a new nuclear deal. 

While not naming Trump, Khamenei claimed the U.S. was about imposing demands, not solving issues. 

“Some bully governments – I really don’t know of any more appropriate term for some foreign figures and leaders than the word bullying – insist on negotiations,” Khamenei said, adding, “Their negotiations are not aimed at solving problems, they aim at domination.”

The Iranian government also claimed it had not received Trump's letter.

During an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump stated that he sent the letter last Wednesday. 

While signaling openness to a deal with Tehran, Trump reinstated the "maximum pressure" campaign he used in his first term, after withdrawing the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The sanctions aimed to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports down, pressuring the regime to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” Trump said in the interview. “I would prefer to make a deal because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.” 

“If we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them,” he continued. “The other alternative is we have to do something because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.” 

On Monday, Trump increased pressure further by canceling a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the decision, saying that Iran would “not negotiate under pressure and intimidation.” 

While Iran officially denies seeking nuclear weapons and claims its uranium reserves are for civilian use, it has stockpiled highly enriched uranium exceeding 60% purity.

However, uranium enrichment beyond 20% has no civilian applications, and most civilian nuclear reactors for energy use uranium at around 3-5% enrichment. 

Trump did not agree to a joint U.S.-Israeli strike during the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, preferring to pursue diplomatic means. However, Israel is still reportedly planning to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, possibly as soon as this year.