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A letter from U.S. President Donald Trump to Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month included a firm two-month deadline to negotiate a new nuclear deal, according to a report by Axios on Wednesday.
The letter, which was handed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi via an Emirati diplomat, proposed restarting nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. However, it also came with a stark warning—if Iran continued pursuing its nuclear program, there would be consequences, the report stated.
Strict Time Limit on Negotiations
Axios source familiar with the matter described the letter as “tough,” emphasizing that it ruled out indefinite negotiations and imposed a strict timeframe for reaching an agreement. However, it remains unclear whether the two-month countdown began upon the letter’s delivery or at the start of negotiations.
Before sending the letter, the White House reportedly briefed key U.S. allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, about its contents. A U.S. official and another unnamed source confirmed this information to Axios.
Trump to Iran: ‘I Hope You’re Going to Negotiate’
President Trump publicly acknowledged the existence of the letter during an early March interview with Fox Business News.
“I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,’” Trump stated. “You can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump further elaborated on the situation, saying, “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal… I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.”
Supreme Leader of Iran Rejects Talks
Despite Trump’s offer, Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed the idea of negotiations, calling it a deceptive move by Washington.
“This is a tactic designed to make it seem as if Iran is refusing to negotiate,” Khamenei claimed. He further argued that engaging in talks with the Trump administration, which he accused of making excessive demands, “will tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran.”
Following Khamenei’s remarks, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters that Iran would respond to Trump’s letter “after full scrutiny.”
Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ Strategy
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have remained high since 2018, when Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed economic sanctions that severely impacted Iran’s economy. A year later, Tehran began violating the deal’s nuclear restrictions in response.
