Bezhkian Excludes Meeting with Trump.. "They Threaten Us Every Day"

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While Tehran proposed a 7-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian President Masoud Bezhkian excluded the possibility of a meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trump during his visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Bezhkian stated that there is an "atmosphere of distrust" between Tehran and Washington, in response to a question about whether he was willing to meet Trump, considering that a direct meeting with the American president would be "difficult for him."

He also added in an interview with CBS News on Friday: "As long as they do not stop doing what they impose on us every day, it is difficult to trust them," continuing: "Every day, they increase the sanctions imposed on us. Every day they threaten us. Every day they strike us. And they do not adhere to what they have written and put on paper. So, if they enter into talks, will they actually adhere to what they agree upon?"

Bezhkian's statements came at a time when Tehran presented a new seven-day proposal to the American side, aimed at stopping the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and resuming negotiations regarding the Iranian nuclear program.

The proposal includes lifting the American maritime blockade on Iranian ports, exempting Iranian oil exports from sanctions, along with a ceasefire, before reopening the strait and resuming nuclear talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the Iranian conditions are not new but are based on the terms of the memorandum of understanding previously reached between the two sides in June.

However, the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump rejected the Iranian proposal for a seven-day ceasefire, informing his aides that he expects to resume strikes on Iran after the midterm elections in November.

This comes as Trump stated during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly that he has a "big decision" regarding whether to reach an agreement with Iran or move towards the "destruction" of the country, also mentioning that Tehran may not reach an agreement with Washington before the midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Bezhkian says that Iran is ready to adhere to what is agreed upon if Washington accepts the proposal, emphasizing that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could begin as soon as the United States accepts the Iranian conditions, noting that his country will allow the entry of nuclear weapons inspectors.

It is worth noting that the United States insists that Iran should not control the waterways leading to the Strait of Hormuz, including the passages that go through Omani territory, or impose transit fees on ships using them. In contrast, Iran demands that ships obtain permission and follow a navigational route agreed upon by Iran.

The 60-day ceasefire agreement, which collapsed in July, was designed to give Iran and the United States time to negotiate the future of the Iranian nuclear program, a contentious issue that both sides have struggled to reach an agreement on, before the agreement later collapsed with the resumption of strikes between the two sides.