U-TURN

Iranian President: No Talks Unless Sanctions Are Lifted

Hassan Rouhani said that the Trump administration must lift sanctions before he agrees to talks or it would just be a photo op.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has changed his mind about sitting down for talks with President Donald Trump. The Associated Press reports that the Iranian leader, who had expressed interest in a bilateral with Trump over Iran’s nuclear program, is now demanding that sanctions be lifted before any such talks take place or the meeting risked being a mere “photo op.” Trump had said Monday that there was a “really good chance” the two would meet after French President Emmanuel Macron invited Iran’s foreign minister to the G7 summit Sunday. But Rouhani said Tuesday that such talks might not stand a chance. “Without the U.S.’s withdrawal from sanctions, we will not witness any positive development,” Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday, adding that Trump “holds the key” to what happens next.