SHAFAQNA- Hours before US leader is expected to defend decision to pull America out of 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran in speech at UN general assembly, saying that “I’m sure he’s an absolutely lovely man”, Donald Trump claims he rejected requests to meet Iran president hassan Rouhani.
In a move that has become a hallmark of the Trump presidency, the US president sought to make waves with an early morning tweet. A few minutes before 7am on the first day of a UN general assembly summit, Trump claimed to have been asked to meet Rouhani, but politely declined.
According to Independent, Donald Trump has suggested he turned down requests to meet Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, but that he may agree to talks “someday in the future”.
“Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!”
The Iranian mission to the UN quickly issued a statement insisting “Iran has not requested a meeting”.
Foreign policy analysts suggested that the purpose of the tweet was to send the message that Trump was seeking a personal rapprochement with Rouhani, along the lines with his diplomacy with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, The Guardian said.