Iranians caught between skepticism and hope after the offer of Trump negotiations

TEHRAN – It's a strategy that comes straight from Donald Trump's diplomatic book – a rhetoric to bounce back and then offer to meet the opponent.

Yet while Trump's technique seems to have Kim Jong Un the table, his latest surprise offer to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has throbbed the language in Iran, with citizens of the country torn between skepticism and loneliness. 39; hope.

The first official reaction to Trump's statement, which comes just after 23:00 on Monday in Iran, was provided by Hamid Aboutalebi, one of Rouhani's advisers, who poured cold water on proposal.

"Those who believe in dialogue as a means of resolving disagreements in civilized societies should [be committed] the great nation of Iran, by reducing hostilities, and an American return to JCPOA [nuclear agreement]" he tweeted on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the mere possibility that tensions between the two countries could be reduced immediately had a positive effect on the value of the sick rial of Iran.

According to local media, the rial was traded at 100,800 for the dollar Tuesday, while a dollar was worth more than 113.00 rials Hossein Selahvarzi, vice president of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, tweeted : "Trump's offer to meet and negotiate [with Rouhani] would likely have a positive impact on the market. A cautious reaction and a response from Rouhani would diminish and control the turbulent [situation] market. "

Politically divided

As for the different political camps of Iran, opinions are divided.

Iranian conservatives have always considered Washington and"

Valiollah Nanva-Kenari, a conservative MP, "He is eager to say that the United States should repudiate their promise to withdraw from the historic agreement of 2015, easing the sanctions in effect.back for Iran to curb its nuclear program. 19659003] "To prove his claim, Trump should first enforce [the US] the commitments under the JCPOA. If Trump really wants to negotiate with Iran, then he should honor his commitments, "he said.

Iranian extremists, however, have taken a tougher stance.

The semi-official Fars news agency, "Trump says he's ready to negotiate without any preconditions, [but] it's a complete lie as the announcement Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, "Trump has withdrawn and said that he had no conditions … Yes, the resistance still works"

] – Ali Rajabi, uncompromising journalist

Describing Trump as an "American" merchant and gambler, "added the news agency:" An examination of the 12 conditions or demands of Pompeo indicates that [Trump] not only seeks not to negotiate on an equal basis, but pursues [the plan of] the capitulation of Iran. "

Fars then argued that Trump wants Iran to leave the axis of resistance in the region, referring to an alliance of countries and groups that are anti-Israeli and Western interventions.

Meanwhile, a number of extremists believed that Trump had abandoned his 12 Ali Rajabi, an extremist journalist from the conservative Mehr news agency, pointed to the threat of Iran to close the Strait of Ormuz – through which passes much of the world's oil supply – and Rouhani. refusal to comply with US requirements, saying: "Trump has withdrawn and said that he had no conditions … Yes, resistance still works."

As for the Iranian reformists, Trump's offer seemed too good to be ignored. a well-known reformist activist, tweeted : "If I were in Rouhani's place, I would have announced that, despite not trusting Trump for not honoring the commitments of his country, I was told to talk to him on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in order to achieve a lasting peace on all issues, namely the need for change in the destabilizing behavior of the United States in the Middle East and his interference in Iran. "19659003] Similarly, Ali Shakouri-Rad, general secretary of the People's Reform Party of the Islamic Union of Iran, said any response should be based solely on the national interest of Iran [19659003] "Now that the US Secretary of State has negotiated, it is good if [Iranian Foreign Minister Javad] Zarif proposes to negotiate with Pompeo at any time and in any place without no condition, "he added

A Chance for Peace?

The most telling comments

The most direct and most important reaction up here came from the moderate Ali-Akbar Nategh Nouri, a former senior member of the Supreme Leader's office

Nategh Nouri , who also served as Speaker of Parliament, said: "In the first place, we should not refuse the offer of negotiation and assert that it is damn wrong. and we should not act hastily. "

He added," We should not be excited either, because [Trump] could benefit from it, and he might have wanted to test us. "

Nategh Nouri also asked the Supreme National Security Council to discuss Trump's suggestion.

In addition, Heshmatollah Falahatpishe, the moderate chairman of the Iranian foreign policy commission, reconciled, saying that the United States is necessary because it would prevent more crises between the two countries.

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"Third countries have fomented America's hostility and they profit from it," said Falahatpishe.

"As long as the Americans raise the issue of bargaining while they have taken a position of intimidation, there will be virtually no discussion.

However, Hamid Aboutalebi, an adviser to the Iranian president, insisted that Tehran sees a return of the United States to the JCPOA as a precondition for a new round of talks.

A key figure that could emerge is Oman. the assumption that the Omani government mediates between Tehran and Washington, and Oman's foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, would visit Tehran on August 3.

Adding to speculation Ben Alavi is currently in Washington. Nategh Nouri noted that Oman had played a key role in the negotiations surrounding the 2015 nuclear deal, so a resumption of this role is quite possible.

C however, Bahram Qassemi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry visited Muscat on 2 July. The spokesman denied the information on Bin Alavi's trip to Tehran

According to analysts, one of the problems could be the popular perception that the dialogue may look like the weakness of Iranian leaders.

This is not correct because negotiation is a tool for resolving conflicts through dialogue and not through war, "said Morteza Nourmohamamdi, professor of international relations at the University of New York. Allame Tabatabi, to Middle East Eye

. "Trump may have wanted to portray himself as the defender of liberal values ​​in America and Iran by showing that he did not intend to trigger a war, "he added.He probably wants to throw the ball to the Iranian court and later say:" I offered to speak, but Iran did not agree. "

According to Rasool Hosseini, expert in foreign policy, Iran is not sure of Trump's motives.

" Apparently, the United States is inclined to portray itself as favorable to talks and to show Iran as the country that avoids settling disputes by peaceful means. "

– Rasool Hosseini, Foreign Policy Expert

"Apparently, the United States is inclined to present itself as favorable to talks and to show Iran as the country that avoids settling disputes by peaceful means", he told MEE

. Tehran should now react cautiously. "

" Of course, all discussions, even prolonged, could see important results for both parties and can reduce tensions, "he added.

Nourmohamamdi, however, believes that both sides have way to go before being on his "The United States want to reach an agreement on everything, but Iran seeks to reach agreement on a number of specific issues, and it does not want to talk "In any case, it is much more likely that the two countries will start negotiations at a much lower level than the two presidents."

"Currently, a meeting between the Iranian and US presidents is not" Our discussions can take place at lower levels, for example between Zarif and Pompeo, "said to MEE Nosratollah Tajik, a former ambassador Iranian to Jordan

"Relations between Iran and the United States have become complicated following the United States leaving the nuclear deal. Trump thinks that Iran has been weakened. Therefore, under such conditions, talk of a meeting between Rouhani and Trump is too optimistic. "

For Tajikistan, the priority should be to lower the very high tensions between Washington and Tehran, before serious talks take place.

" To achieve this goal, Iran can go from the front with this plan in two ways: first, the public level, and the second, which is the secret level, talks to Washington through mediator tools then face-to-face interactions. "