‘I Hope You’re Going To Negotiate’: Trump Sends Letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Urging Talks on Nuclear Program

Latest Developments

• Letter to Khamenei: President Donald Trump sent a letter on March 5 to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressing his desire to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. “I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,’” Trump said in an interview aired on March 7 by Fox Business News. The president explained that he “would rather negotiate a deal” with Iran but affirmed the United States’ longstanding policy that “you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
• Khamenei Doesn’t Support Direct Talks With U.S.: Khamenei said on February 7 that entering into negotiations with the United States is “not rational, wise, or honorable.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on March 2 that although he supports negotiations with the United States, he would follow Khamenei’s directive on the matter. “The Supreme Leader said we will not talk with the U.S. … so I said we would not negotiate with the U.S. It was done and over with,” Pezeshkian said in a speech to Iran’s parliament.
• Iran’s Recent Nuclear Strides: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which acts as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, reported that as of February 8, Iran possessed 274.8 kilograms of 60 percent highly enriched uranium, an increase of 92.5 kilograms since the IAEA’s last report in November 2024. Using this stockpile, Iran can produce six nuclear weapons. Should they further enrich uranium to weapons grade, the Islamic Republic possesses enough material for at least 17 nuclear weapons.

FDD Expert Response

“President Trump understood well the flaws of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that paved the way for the threshold nuclear weapon capability it has today. A new deal with Tehran must entail its full, permanent, and verified nuclear disarmament and dismantlement to be worth giving sanctions relief to a terrorist regime.” — Andrea Stricker, Research Fellow and Deputy Director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program 

“There’s been no shortage of letters throughout the history of U.S.-Iran diplomacy over the past 46 years. What President Trump appears to be doing is quite literally putting all options on the table, from good to bad. But the president should be careful. Tehran has set a trap for him, hoping to lure him into endless diplomacy to blunt his “maximum pressure” campaign and dampen the credibility of an American or Israeli military option while buying time to creep toward a nuclear weapon.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow

“Tehran’s strategy under the previous administration was to delay negotiations while first securing sanctions relief. The Biden administration played into this approach by granting Iran access to frozen funds through waivers. Concessions from Washington should not be a prerequisite for talks, especially given Iran’s track record — continuing its nuclear program in secret and pursuing malign regional activities despite the 2015 deal.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“U.S. Conducts Bomber Task Force Mission as Iran Threat Looms,” FDD Flash Brief

“Bridging the Atlantic to Counter Tehran,” by Saeed Ghasseminejad and Behnam Ben Taleblu

“Crushing Iran’s oil trade: The path to maximum pressure,” by Mark Dubowitz and Saeed Ghasseminejad                                               

“Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Potential Leaps Ahead of IAEA Meeting,” by Andrea Stricker

“Tehran’s Trump Trap,” by Behnam Ben Taleblu