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An Emirati diplomat, previously identified by Tehran as the bearer of a letter from US President Donald Trump, met with Iran’s foreign minister on Wednesday.
Iranian state television broadcasted footage of Emirati official Anwar Gargash’s meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, the capital of Iran. While the letter itself was not displayed, Iranian authorities had previously indicated that Gargash was to deliver it. The Emirati official and the UAE government did not promptly confirm his visit, which occurred during the holy month of Ramadan.
Last week, President Trump acknowledged that he had written a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an effort to initiate discussions regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.
This diplomatic gesture from Trump arises amid warnings from both Israel and the United States that they will not permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons, raising concerns about a potential military conflict as Tehran continues to enrich uranium to levels close to those used for weapons—an activity typically associated with nuclear-armed states.
Iran has consistently asserted that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, despite increasing rhetoric from its officials about the possibility of pursuing nuclear weapons, particularly as tensions escalate with the US over sanctions and with Israel amid a fragile ceasefire in its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
