Iran says no talks with Trump unless US rejoins nuclear deal

A day after President Donald Trump told the media that he would be willing to meet with Iran without preconditions, Iranian officials replied that one condition would have to be met before they would engage in talks: The United States must rejoin the 2015 nuclear agreement.

What did they say?

Hamid Aboutalebi, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency, "Respecting the Iranian nation's rights, reducing hostilities and returning to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran and America."

He added, "Those who believe in dialogue as a method of resolving disputes in civilized societies should be committed to the means."

In a statement posted to the website of the Iranian Parliament, National Security and Foreign Policy Committee leader Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh reiterated, "There can be no negotiations with the Americans raising the issue of talks from the position of power," and referred to Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal as the "biggest blow to diplomacy."

Falahatpisheh told the Iranian Students' New Agency, "Trump knows well that America has no power to fight with Iran, while he has no idea of Iran's economic potential."

Another politician, Mostafa Kavakebian, called the President Trump "untrustworthy" and signaled that any talks at this time would make Iran appear weak.

"If this negotiation (is) carried out in any form, then it will be considered a surrender and the Iranian nation will not surrender," Kavakebian said.

Now what?

But Iran's currency, the rial, has been in a freefall — dropping 18 percent just in the past two days. In a panic to stop the damage as U.S. sanctions are set to be reimposed starting next week, the Central Bank of Iran announced plans to move forward with its own cryptocurrency on Monday.

In a meeting with Britain's ambassador Tuesday, Rouhani called America's abandonment of the nuclear deal "illegal," declaring that "the ball is in Europe's court now."

And Iran's OPEC governor, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, said that Trump had been bamboozled into imposing sanctions on the country.

"It seems President Trump has been taken hostage by Saudi Arabia and a few producers when they claimed they can replace 2.5 million barrels per day of Iranian exports, encouraging him to take action against Iran," he said.