Kremlin says it's not consulting Tehran on response to Trump letter

The Kremlin said on Monday it is not consulting Iran on Tehran's response to a letter from US President Donald Trump urging talks on a nuclear deal, days after Russia said it was willing to mediate their disagreements.

Asked by a reporter whether Moscow was influencing Tehran's response to the letter from Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Iran is a sovereign country and independently formulates its position on key foreign policy issues."

"It is clear that Iran is seeking negotiations based on mutual respect, constructive negotiations."

Trump on Friday said that he had sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, offering negotiations while warning of military consequences if talks over its nuclear program failed.

A day after Trump publicly revealed his letter, Khamenei made a speech in which he made no mention of the letter but declared that the Islamic Republic would not negotiate with "bullying" powers. Iranian media and observers interpreted this as a rejection of Trump's overture.

Last week, Moscow offered to mediate in talks between its ally Iran and the United States on the various disagreements between the old foes, including Tehran's nuclear program and military activities in the region.

"We, of course, for our part, will continue to do everything that depends on us, everything that is possible, in order to bring this process of settling the Iranian nuclear dossier into a peaceful direction," Peskov added.

On Monday Iran’s foreign ministry reiterated its denials, claiming that Tehran had not received a letter from Trump.

Acknowledging the fragility of the situation as pressure on Tehran ramps up, Peskov said, "It is clear that very tense contacts are ahead."