US offered to remove all sanctions on Iran in exchange for talks: Rouhani

GENEVA-Reuters

The United States offered to remove all sanctions on Iran in exchange for talks, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sept. 27 upon returning to Tehran from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to his official website.

"The German chancellor, the prime minister of England (Britain) and the president of France were in New York and all insisted that this meeting take place. And America says that I will lift the sanctions," Rouhani said. "It was up for debate what sanctions will be lifted and they had said clearly that we will lift all sanctions."

He added: "But this action wasn't in a manner that was acceptable, meaning that in the atmosphere of sanctions and the existence of sanctions and the toxic atmosphere of maximum pressure, even if we want to negotiate with the Americans in the 5+1 framework, no one can predict what the end and result of this negotiation will be."

But Trump said he had refused a request by Tehran to lift sanctions in exchange for talks, contradicting Rouhani.

"Iran wanted me to lift the sanctions imposed on them in order to meet. I said, of course, NO!" Trump tweeted.