Iran president to Trump: I will not negotiate, ‘do whatever the hell you want’

The US president says he has sent a letter urging Iran to engage in new talks on a nuclear deal

Reading Time:1 minute

epa11934141 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a Parliament session to defend his Minister of Economy and Finance at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran, Iran, 02 March 2025. According to the IRNA news agency, Pezeshkian said that we are in an economic war and, following the Iranian Supreme Leader’s order, we will not negotiate with the U.S. EPA-EFE/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Published: 7:43am, 12 Mar 2025

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not negotiate with the US while being threatened, telling President Donald Trump to “do whatever the hell you want”, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

“It is unacceptable for us that they [the US] give orders and make threats. I won’t even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want”, state media quoted Pezeshkian as saying.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations, a day after Trump said he had sent a letter urging Iran to engage in talks on a new nuclear deal.

While expressing openness to a deal with Tehran, Trump has reinstated the “maximum pressure” campaign he applied in his first term as president to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports down towards zero.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei speaks at a meeting in Tehran on Saturday as President Masoud Pezeshkian listens. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

In an interview with Fox Business, Trump said last week, “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal” to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.