Trump says US won't offer anything to Iran, rules out talks
Trump ruled out any further talks with Iran, claiming their nuclear facilities were obliterated
US President Donald Trump on Monday (June 30) said that he would not hold any talks with Iran and was not offering anything to the Islamic Republic.
He also accused Obama of paying billions of dollars to Tehran in the name of “the stupid ‘road to nuclear weapon JCPOA”.
“Tell phony Democrat Senator Chris Coons that I am not offering Iran ANYTHING, unlike Obama, who paid them $Billions under the stupid “road to a Nuclear Weapon JCPOA (which would now be expired!), nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Also Read: Iran’s top cleric Ayatollah Makarem issues fatwa against Trump, Netanyahu
Earlier rebuttal
Earlier, he had dismissed media reports claiming his administration had discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program.
This is the second time Trump has dismissed claims that his administration was considering allowing Iran access to a fund of $30 billion so that the Islamic Republic could improve its civil nuclear programme.
Earlier, CNN had reported that apart from allowing Iran access to the fund of $30 million, the Trump administration was also considering easing sanctions and freeing up billions of dollars of restricted funds. The report further stated that the moves were aimed at bringing Tehran back to the negotiation table over its nuclear programme.
Also Read: Trump dismisses report of $30-billion offer for Iran's nuclear programme
Fatwa against Trump, Netanyahu
However, since the US airstrikes on three of Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities, Tehran has yet to soften its stance toward the US.
In a fresh salvo at the US President, Iran’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a ‘fatwa’ against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declaring them “enemies of God.”
"Any person or regime that threatens the Leader or Marja (May God forbid) is considered a 'warlord' or a 'mohareb'," Mehr news agency quoted Shirazi as saying.
According to a Fox News report, 'mohareb' is someone who wages war against God, and as per Iranian law, those who are identified as 'mohareb' can face execution or exile along with other severe punishments.
Also Read: Trump tells Iran's supreme leader: 'You got beat to hell'
Differing views of US airstrikes
There have been contradicting claims regarding the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear facilities by the US strikes, both from Washington and Tehran. Contrary to Trump’s claims that the nuclear facilities were “totally obliterated”, an initial intelligence report of the US government has reportedly stated that the US airstrikes had only pushed back Iran’s nuclear programmes by a few months.
As for Tehran, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that the nuclear facilities have suffered “excessive and serious damage”, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US did not “accomplish anything significant.