President Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are both in New York on U.N. business this week, but Rouhani has made it clear he does not want to meet his American counterpart.
"Naturally, if someone is keen on having a meeting and holding dialogue and creating progress in relationships, that person would not use the tool of sanctions and threats [and bring] to bear all of its power against another government and nation," Rouhani said Monday. "That means that the necessary willpower is absent in order to resolve outstanding issues." Tehran has consistently refused talks with the Trump administration since the president withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year, labeling Trump an "untrustworthy" diplomatic partner.
A day after Rouhani's remarks, Trump on Twitter claimed he'd rejected Rouhani's request for a meeting:
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This forlorn effort to save face was undercut by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement on NBC's Meet the Press just two days ago that Trump has "been pretty clear" he is "happy to talk with" Iran "at any time."
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