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

Esmail Baghaei, the ministry's spokesperson, responded to a reporter’s question during his weekly briefing on Monday, saying, “I will answer your long question with a short response: No letter has been received.”

President Trump revealed on Friday that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, offering negotiations while warning of military consequences if talks failed. Speaking to Fox Business Network, Trump said, “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily or through a deal. I would prefer to make a deal.”

The next day, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a speech, made no mention of a letter from Trump but declared that the Islamic Republic would not negotiate with "bullying" powers. Iranian Media and observers interpreted this as an indirect response to Trump's demand for talks.

Trump’s explicit threat—both in his public statements and the reported letter—that the United States might consider military action if Tehran refuses genuine negotiations has put Khamenei under pressure to deliver a clear response. Whether the denial of receiving a letter is intended to delay such a response remains uncertain.

It is also possible that Trump sent a message rather than a formal letter, using intermediaries such as Russia or Qatar. This could allow Tehran to deny having received a letter and avoid the pressure to publicly respond.

Abbas Golroo, a member of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told Borna News Agency in Tehran on Monday that he had no precise information on Trump’s letter and suggested that what was being referred to as a letter was likely a message.

It is entirely possible that Trump sent a message in some form and that Iran may have already responded through indirect channels or intends to do so, while maintaining the pretense that no letter was involved.

In any case, the foreign ministry spokesperson condemned Trump's threats of keeping a military option on the table. “Various Iranian officials have spoken on this matter. The threat of using force is a criminal act under international law,” Baghaei said.

Iran, under intense economic pressure and a weakened regional position, also sees Trump’s maximum sanctions policy as a coercive tactic. Last month, when Trump reaffirmed his maximum pressure strategy, Tehran similarly rejected negotiations, citing its refusal to engage in talks under duress.

Tehran has long sought sanctions relief as a condition for engaging in talks. During the Biden administration, when indirect negotiations lasted more than a year, Washington informally eased enforcement, leading to a significant surge in Iran’s oil exports and nearly $100 billion in additional revenue.

"The Swedish Ambassador in Tehran, Mathias Otterstedt, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry by the Director of the Western Europe’s Third Department Shahram Ghazizadeh in response to the inappropriate and interventionist positions of some Swedish officials against the Islamic Republic of Iran," a statement by the foreign ministry released on Monday read.

During the meeting with the Swedish ambassador, Iran communicated its "formal protest to the Swedish envoy and criticized the inappropriate statements, baseless accusations, and interventionist remarks made by the Swedish minister of education against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

​An investigative report by Swedish daily newspaper Expressen last month revealed that an individual who had worked for Iran's intelligence service for two years was subsequently employed as a doctoral student at Lund University. The student had not mentioned his background in Iran's intelligence service in his CV.

The report quoted the student as confirming he "worked for an institute that later turned out to be part of the intelligence service."

Reacting to the repot the Swedish Minister of Education Johan Pehrson said: "Iran is a rogue state that many Swedes have fled from. They have institutionalized misogyny, anti-Semitism and sponsor terrorism. The Swedish Security Service classifies Iran as one of the greatest security threats to Sweden. Iran not only engages in espionage and influence work, but is also interested in acquiring technology and innovations that are developed in Swedish companies and universities."

Iran's foreign ministry also said that during the meeting, Ghazizadeh also criticized Sweden for summoning Iran’s ambassador in Stockholm over the case of detained Swedish Iranian Ahmadreza Djalili on death row in Tehran.

It also stated that Ghazizadeh raised concerns over the case of Niloufar Zareh, an Iranian citizen who was killed in a school shooting in Sweden last month, and requested details on the judicial process.

"The US Department of Justice is prosecuting these three men in federal court, and I must look them in the eye and testify," Alinejad said in a video message on Sunday.

The two-week trial will begin on Monday, March 10, according to Alinejad.

Rafat Amirov, 43, from Iran, Polad Omarov, 38, a citizen of both the Czech Republic and Slovenia, and Khalid Mehdiyev, 24, from Yonkers, New York, were indicted in a New York federal court on charges of money laundering and murder-for-hire in 2023.

The Justice Department charged the three men in an alleged plot that originated in Iran to kill Alinejad.

The Islamic Republic "is not only killing innocent people in Iran but is also targeting them in the heart of America and Europe," Alinejad said in her message.

"Here, in a federal court in Manhattan, the truth will be laid bare before the world."

Mehdiyev was arrested in New York in 2022 for possessing a rifle near the residence of Alinejad. Amirov was taken into custody in the Southern District of New York in January 2023. Omarov was extradited to the US by the Czech Republic in February 2024 after his arrest in January 2023.

The three were part of an Eastern European criminal organization called the "Thieves in Law".

Iran’s partnership with criminal gangs is partly born out of necessity. According to Western officials, the government’s own operatives face increasing scrutiny and surveillance from intelligence services, limiting their ability to conduct missions abroad. By turning to these criminal groups, the Islamic Republic circumvents the obstacles while tapping into networks that are already embedded in the West.

In 2021, US officials uncovered a plot involving two Hells Angels members hired to kill an Iranian defector and his wife in Maryland.

In an interview published by the Israeli newspaper on Sunday, Maria Zakharova referred to the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and said, "A similar approach might be useful now in order to stabilize the situation."

"We are prepared for the closest cooperation with Tehran and with the other involved parties for the sake of reducing tension and finding sustainable solutions that will enable an effective and long-term accord," she was quoted as saying.

Iran had largely restricted its nuclear program in exchange for some sanctions relief as per the agreement it signed in July 2015 with world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

However, the deal reached under US President Barack Obama was criticized by his successor Trump, who pulled out of the agreement, as too lenient on Tehran.

Trump warned on Friday that the situation with Iran had reached a critical stage, adding that he preferred to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program.

“We can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office. “We are at final moments with Iran. Something’s going to happen very soon."

There’ll be some interesting days ahead, that’s all I can tell you. You know, we’re down to final strokes with Iran,” he added.

He also said he has sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader. However, Ali Khamenei on Saturday ruled out the possibility of negotiation with the United States, in his first public speech after Trump's remarks.

Abol (Hamid) Korkor ended his life on Saturday after the Islamic Republic's security forces surrounded his hiding place and fired continuously, according to an account from activist and former political prisoner Foad Choobin on X.

Korkor, who had lived in hiding for over two years, streamed the raid live on Instagram as security forces stormed his home. He is the latest in a long line of protesters to take their own lives under pressure from Iran's security forces, exacerbated since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising.

During the stream of gunfire, Korkor is repeatedly heard shouting, "We surrender," but the forces continued shooting.

In the end, Korkor said, "I have no choice. Goodbye, Iran," before taking his own life, the video shows.

Korkor's final words, "Goodbye, Iran," have been widely shared, with Iranians including opposition figures, activists, and artists mourning his death and condemning the government’s crackdown on dissent.

Iran's exiled Reza Pahlavi in a post on X called Korkor a "courageous martyr" and said his name should be "eternal and revered."

Women's rights activist Masih Alinejad wrote in a post on Instagram that Korkor "refused to surrender to the soldiers of the Islamic Republic’s terrorist Revolutionary Guards."

Iran-based rights activist Hossein Ronaghi described Izeh as a city with a long history of resistance, saying its people have "never bowed to tyranny."

"From the past to the present, the people of Izeh have stood courageously against injustice, proving that freedom is only achieved through resistance and struggle," he wrote in a post on X,

"With the cry of 'Goodbye, Iran,' he took his final breath," Ronaghi wrote, framing Korkor’s death as a symbol of defiance in the face of repression.

Iranian dissident rapper Hichkas also paid tribute, writing, "When you think of Iran until the moment of death," referencing Korkor’s final words, "Goodbye, Iran."

Similarly, rapper Shahin Najafi paid tribute sharing a photo of Korkor and writing on X, "Our code is to die standing," in reference to Korkor’s decision to take his own life rather than surrender to the Islamic Republic’s security forces.

Rapper Toomaj Salehi, who has faced imprisonment for his activism, expressed frustration over the isolation of Izeh, writing in a post on Telegram, "We left Izeh alone."

He also revealed that just a month ago, intelligence agents had blocked his attempt to travel toward Izeh, in what appeared to be a reference to the heavy security presence surrounding the city.

Former Iranian soccer star Ali Karimi echoed Korkor’s final words, writing on X, "'Goodbye, Iran' meant freedom for him."

On Sunday, Choobin further reported on X that Korkor's family are under pressure from intelligence and security agencies to not hold a ceremony for Koror, to avoid unrest in the city, and that the authorities have not yet given his body to the family.