Behind the scenes of Trump's message to Tehran; continued pressure or change in approach?

NOURNEWS – The visit of Anwar Gargash, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, to Tehran and his delivery of a letter from Trump to Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, sparked a wave of speculation about the content of this diplomatic message. While some see this move as a sign of a change in Washington's approach, others remain skeptical.

The review of the letter started on Thursday, but the details and the official reaction of the Islamic Republic of Iran remain shrouded in silence.

Some consider the letter a sign of a positive change in US policies, while others, given Washington's hostile record, do not have high hopes for a change in Trump's approach. Meanwhile, one of the important evidence that can provide a clearer picture is the recent statements of Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister. Without directly referring to the letter, he reported on the Americans' insistence on proposing new political conditions to reach an agreement with Iran. Lavrov, referring to the US request to establish verifiable arrangements for Iran to ensure the cessation of Tehran's support for groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, said: "Such a thing is unlikely to yield results."

Lavrov also emphasized Russia's determination to resume negotiations based on the initial agreements approved by the UN Security Council.

If these statements are reflective of the content of Trump's letter - which seems to be the case - it indicates that the US President's letter did not contain anything new and was a repetition of the same unilateral demands and previous excesses. This prediction had been previously announced by the Supreme Leader in response to Trump's statements.

However, the question arises as to why Iran accepted a letter with such content. A day before Gargash's visit, Araghchi had announced that the US President's letter would be delivered to Iran through an Arab country. This shows that Tehran was aware of the method of delivery and possibly the general content of the letter, but decided to receive it and respond after reviewing it, in order to show goodwill, especially in interacting with a neighboring country.

If the letter merely repeats the US's previous demands, it naturally does not require a response, as the Islamic Republic's position has been clearly stated on this matter several times.

However, simply ignoring it is not enough; it would be better for the Iranian government to publish the full text of the letter so that the domestic and international public becomes aware of its content. Publishing the letter, if its content is similar to the US's previous demands, can clarify whether negotiating with a government that insists solely on unilateral coercion and limiting the rights of an independent country is fundamentally possible.