Iran responds to Trump’s statements about “preparing for the meeting” (Image source: AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied the possibility of a meeting between the Iranian Supreme Leader and US President Donald Trump, describing such speculation as unrealistic amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.His statements came after US President Donald Trump indicated the possibility of holding a meeting with the Iranian Supreme Leader in the future if circumstances permit.“Living in the real world,” Araqchi repliesAraqchi downplayed the importance of Trump’s statements regarding a possible meeting with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to the Al Jazeera report.He added: “I saw a report that apparently said that he (Trump) stated that he was ready to have a meeting or that he wanted to have a meeting.
“I think we have to be realistic and think and live in the real world.”Trump had previously suggested meeting with KhameneiEarlier, Trump said that Tehran had agreed to stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons and suggested holding a meeting with Khamenei at some point.The US President also said that he had not had the “honor of meeting” with Khamenei yet, adding: “I would like to meet him. We will probably meet at some point, depending on how things go.”
The conflict, which followed joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has contributed to volatility in global energy markets and sparked increased scrutiny within the United States.Where is Mojtaba Khamenei?US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he “believes” Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and is “increasingly involved” in leadership affairs.While addressing the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Rubio said that Khamenei had not been seen or heard directly, and suggested that concerns about the safety of senior figures within Iran’s leadership may influence this decision.“I think there are indications, we haven’t heard from him publicly. We haven’t seen him publicly. And I imagine that what happened to a lot of the leaders in this regime, being very public, is probably not something they would recommend internally.
