The Trump administration is laying out a new Iran doctrine. It blends some elements of his first administration’s maximum pressure with more carrots for Iran in the form of a hint at a possible new deal. However, Iranian officials say they haven’t received any correspondence from Trump. This may be two sides talking at each other and both bluffing.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said over the weekend that Iran has not received any letter from the United States. This came after Iranian state media said that US President Donald Trump “claimed to have sent a letter to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on negotiations with the Islamic Republic.” It wasn’t clear if there was a physical letter involved or merely messaging. Trump has said, “There’ll be some interesting days ahead. That’s all I can tell you. You know, we’re down to final strokes with Iran … [we] can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also said, “They have a lot of nice oil wells, right? So anyway, it’s going to be a big thing. It’s an interesting time in the history of the world, but we have a situation with Iran, and something’s going to happen very soon.”
Iran’s foreign minister said he learned about the letter and that it is “on its way.” This seems to imply that it’s literally a physical letter. “We have heard the same, [but] we haven’t got anything yet,” the top diplomat said in a TV interview. “It hasn’t arrived yet,” Araqchi claimed. He was attending a meeting in Tehran at the time. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was receiving local officials. Ayatollah Khamenei has slammed the US and encouraged Iran not to begin new talks with Washington.
People wave flags next to an Iranian missile on display during the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025. (credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters)
People wave flags next to an Iranian missile on display during the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025. (credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters)
“We do not wait for any letter from the US, and we believe that, by using internal capacities and opportunities for developing foreign relations, we can achieve a position that the enemy has no choice but to lift the sanctions within the framework of negotiations with the remaining parties to the JCPOA,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf Qalibaf said. Iran’s state media noted that Qalibaf made the remark at the start of an open session of Parliament on Sunday. It is clear that Iranian officials have message discipline on this “letter” issue.
Condemning new sanctions
Meanwhile, Iran has also condemned new sanctions from Canada that have also followed sanctions from the US. The US wants to cut off Iran’s oil trade and also target its trade in things such as components for drones. On Friday, Canada announced new sanctions on Iran, “targeting seven individuals and entities over their alleged links to networks involved in the production of weapons, which Ottawa claims have been sent to Russia for use in the Ukraine war,” Iranian state media noted.
The reports come as Iran is flexing its naval muscles this week. Iran, Russia, and China are beginning drills called 'Security Belt. The drill will take place in the Indian Ocean. Iran, Russia, and China have increased cooperation in recent years. “The Navies of Iran, China and Russia will kick off joint drills in the northern Indian Ocean with the aim of promoting security in the area and enhancing trilateral naval cooperation,” Iran’s IRNA noted.
Iran says that observer countries include Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the UAE, and Sri Lanka. Iraq is a friend of Iran, and Oman and Iran have drilled land forces together before. Qatar also backs Iran.