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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks in Tehran on August 27, 2019. "We seek to resolve issues and problems in a rational way but we are not after photos," Rouhani said in his remarks. (Photo: president.ir)
Rejecting Idea of 'Photo Op' Diplomacy With Trump, Iran's Rouhani Says No Talks Unless US Sanctions Lifted
"It's possible with PhotoShop—but not in reality. Unless the U.S. removes all the sanctions—then there will be a new situation for us to consider."
Aug 27, 2019
Announcing he would not miss a legitimate opportunity to help his "country's development and resolve the problems of the people," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday he would not agree to talks with U.S. officials or President Donald Trump unless "cruel" and "unlawful" economic sanctions are first lifted and that guarantees are made that diplomatic progress--not a mere photo op--is the goal.
"If the U.S. were to impose its will on Europe to abide by international law it would be bad but it would be justifiable. Now the U.S. is imposing will on the rest of the world to violate international law."
--Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
According to the Associated Press:
Rouhani's change of heart came a day after Trump said Monday that there's a "really good chance" the two could meet on their nuclear impasse after a surprise intervention by French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit to try to bring Washington and Tehran together after decades of conflict.
"Without the U.S.'s withdrawal from sanctions, we will not witness any positive development," Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday, adding that Washington "holds the key" as to what happens next.
"We seek to resolve issues and problems in a rational way but we are not after photos," Rouhani said in his remarks. "For anyone wanting to take a picture with Hassan Rouhani, this is not possible. It's possible with PhotoShop--but not in reality. Unless the U.S. removes all the sanctions--then there will be a new situation for us to consider."
\u201cRouhani: \u201cWe\u2019re not interested in photos. If someone wants to have their photo taken w/ Hassan Rouhani, it\u2019s not going to happen. It\u2019s possible with PhotoShop \u2014 but not in reality. Unless they remove all the sanctions \u2014 then there will be a new situation for us to consider.\u201d\u201d— Golnar Motevalli (@Golnar Motevalli) 1566887228
In an interview with Euronews on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif--who was the one invited to the sidelines of the G7 summit by Macron--said the Trump administration's violation of the international nuclear agreement--officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and signed by the P5+1 nations in 2015--is a grave threat to the international order.
The deal, Zarif said, is "not an optional arrangement" but one backed by a UN Security Council resolution and a deal that remains an obligation to those countries who signed onto it, even if the U.S. and Iran are no longer standing by their original commitments after Trump ditched the deal in 2017.
"If the U.S. were to impose its will on Europe to abide by international law it would be bad but it would be justifiable," Zarif said. "Now the U.S. is imposing will on the rest of the world to violate international law. That's totally unacceptable, and for Europe, whose future is based on multilateralism and the rule of law, this is a threat against the future of Europe."
Watch the full interview with Zarif:
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Announcing he would not miss a legitimate opportunity to help his "country's development and resolve the problems of the people," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday he would not agree to talks with U.S. officials or President Donald Trump unless "cruel" and "unlawful" economic sanctions are first lifted and that guarantees are made that diplomatic progress--not a mere photo op--is the goal.
"If the U.S. were to impose its will on Europe to abide by international law it would be bad but it would be justifiable. Now the U.S. is imposing will on the rest of the world to violate international law."
--Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
According to the Associated Press:
Rouhani's change of heart came a day after Trump said Monday that there's a "really good chance" the two could meet on their nuclear impasse after a surprise intervention by French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit to try to bring Washington and Tehran together after decades of conflict.
"Without the U.S.'s withdrawal from sanctions, we will not witness any positive development," Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday, adding that Washington "holds the key" as to what happens next.
"We seek to resolve issues and problems in a rational way but we are not after photos," Rouhani said in his remarks. "For anyone wanting to take a picture with Hassan Rouhani, this is not possible. It's possible with PhotoShop--but not in reality. Unless the U.S. removes all the sanctions--then there will be a new situation for us to consider."
\u201cRouhani: \u201cWe\u2019re not interested in photos. If someone wants to have their photo taken w/ Hassan Rouhani, it\u2019s not going to happen. It\u2019s possible with PhotoShop \u2014 but not in reality. Unless they remove all the sanctions \u2014 then there will be a new situation for us to consider.\u201d\u201d— Golnar Motevalli (@Golnar Motevalli) 1566887228
In an interview with Euronews on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif--who was the one invited to the sidelines of the G7 summit by Macron--said the Trump administration's violation of the international nuclear agreement--officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and signed by the P5+1 nations in 2015--is a grave threat to the international order.
The deal, Zarif said, is "not an optional arrangement" but one backed by a UN Security Council resolution and a deal that remains an obligation to those countries who signed onto it, even if the U.S. and Iran are no longer standing by their original commitments after Trump ditched the deal in 2017.
"If the U.S. were to impose its will on Europe to abide by international law it would be bad but it would be justifiable," Zarif said. "Now the U.S. is imposing will on the rest of the world to violate international law. That's totally unacceptable, and for Europe, whose future is based on multilateralism and the rule of law, this is a threat against the future of Europe."
Watch the full interview with Zarif:
Announcing he would not miss a legitimate opportunity to help his "country's development and resolve the problems of the people," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday he would not agree to talks with U.S. officials or President Donald Trump unless "cruel" and "unlawful" economic sanctions are first lifted and that guarantees are made that diplomatic progress--not a mere photo op--is the goal.
"If the U.S. were to impose its will on Europe to abide by international law it would be bad but it would be justifiable. Now the U.S. is imposing will on the rest of the world to violate international law."
--Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
According to the Associated Press:
Rouhani's change of heart came a day after Trump said Monday that there's a "really good chance" the two could meet on their nuclear impasse after a surprise intervention by French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit to try to bring Washington and Tehran together after decades of conflict.
"Without the U.S.'s withdrawal from sanctions, we will not witness any positive development," Rouhani said in a televised speech on Tuesday, adding that Washington "holds the key" as to what happens next.
"We seek to resolve issues and problems in a rational way but we are not after photos," Rouhani said in his remarks. "For anyone wanting to take a picture with Hassan Rouhani, this is not possible. It's possible with PhotoShop--but not in reality. Unless the U.S. removes all the sanctions--then there will be a new situation for us to consider."
\u201cRouhani: \u201cWe\u2019re not interested in photos. If someone wants to have their photo taken w/ Hassan Rouhani, it\u2019s not going to happen. It\u2019s possible with PhotoShop \u2014 but not in reality. Unless they remove all the sanctions \u2014 then there will be a new situation for us to consider.\u201d\u201d— Golnar Motevalli (@Golnar Motevalli) 1566887228
In an interview with Euronews on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif--who was the one invited to the sidelines of the G7 summit by Macron--said the Trump administration's violation of the international nuclear agreement--officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and signed by the P5+1 nations in 2015--is a grave threat to the international order.
The deal, Zarif said, is "not an optional arrangement" but one backed by a UN Security Council resolution and a deal that remains an obligation to those countries who signed onto it, even if the U.S. and Iran are no longer standing by their original commitments after Trump ditched the deal in 2017.
"If the U.S. were to impose its will on Europe to abide by international law it would be bad but it would be justifiable," Zarif said. "Now the U.S. is imposing will on the rest of the world to violate international law. That's totally unacceptable, and for Europe, whose future is based on multilateralism and the rule of law, this is a threat against the future of Europe."
Watch the full interview with Zarif:
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LATEST NEWS
'There Will Be Blood': JPMorgan Hikes Odds of Trump-Triggered Recession to 60%
"The president single-handedly wiped out Americans' retirement savings overnight and subjected businesses to intense whiplash with his increasingly erratic and chaotic policies that continue to drive consumer and business uncertainty."
Apr 04, 2025
Alarm over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs continues to grow, with stocks plummeting and JPMorgan warning that "the risk of recession in the global economy this year is raised to 60%, up from 40%."
After China announced new 34% tariffs on all American goods beginning next week, The Associated Press reported Friday that "the S&P 500 was down 4.8% in afternoon trading, after earlier dropping more than 5%, following its worst day since Covid wrecked the global economy in 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1,719 points, or 4.3%, as of 1:08 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 4.9% lower."
Noting the state of Wall Street this week, Groundwork Collaborative executive director Lindsay Owens declared in a Friday statement that "Trump has officially brought the economy to its knees."
"The president single-handedly wiped out Americans' retirement savings overnight and subjected businesses to intense whiplash with his increasingly erratic and chaotic policies that continue to drive consumer and business uncertainty," she said. "To call this an economic downturn is an understatement; Trump is marching us straight into a depression."
Political and economic observers have been publicly wondering for weeks if Trump is intentionally crashing the economy. Further fueling those fears, he ramped up his trade war on Wednesday by announcing a minimum 10% tariff for imports, with higher levies for dozens of countries. Although he claimed those steeper duties are "reciprocal," his math "horrified" economists and has been called "crazy."
Responding in a Thursday note titled, There Will Be Blood, head of global economic research Bruce Kasman and other experts at JPMorgan wrote that "if sustained, this year's ~22%-point tariff increase would be the largest U.S. tax hike since 1968."
"The effect of this tax hike is likely to be magnified—through retaliation, a slide in U.S. business sentiment, and supply chain disruptions," states the note, which came before China's announcement.
As Bloomberg reported:
Several Wall Street firms on Thursday warned of a U.S. recession, with some making it their base case, after... Trump announced major levies on goods imported from countries around the world. Other economists, including those at JPMorgan, said the hit could be big, though they are taking a wait-and-see approach before revising their projections.
The announcement rocked global financial markets, and the S&P 500 suffered its worst day since 2020. Trump, speaking on Air Force One on Thursday afternoon, said he was open to reducing tariffs if trading partners were able to offer something "phenomenal."
"We are not making immediate changes to our forecasts and want to see the initial implementation and negotiation process that takes hold," the JPMorgan note says. "However, we view the full implementation of announced policies as a substantial macroeconomic shock not currently incorporated in our forecasts. We thus emphasize that these policies, if sustained, would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year."
The team also pointed out that the United States is in potential danger no matter how other countries are ultimately impacted, calling a "scenario where rest of world muddles through a U.S. recession possible but less likely than global downturn."
As Common Dreams reported last week, in anticipation of Trump's tariff announcement, Goldman Sachs published a research note projecting that the odds of a recession in the next year are 35%, up from 20%.
Other financial industry research firms that have recently warned of a possible recession include Barclays, BofA Global Research, Deutsche Bank, RBC Capital Markets, and UBS Global Wealth Management, according to Reuters.
"This is a game-changer, not only for the U.S. economy, but for the global economy. Many countries will likely end up in a recession," Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings, said in a late Wednesday note about the levies. "You can throw most forecasts out the door, if this tariff rate stays on for an extended period of time."
Experts have made similar comments to the press in the wake of the president's Rose Garden remarks on Wednesday. Time on Friday shared some from Brian Bethune, a Boston College economics professor:
"[Consumers] are not even going to the grocery store and paying more for vegetables because there's none available from Mexico, or going to Whole Foods, for example, and finding the big sections of fresh fruit are being shut down. They haven't really felt the full impact [yet], and they're already saying something isn't right," Bethune says.
However, while some economists... are more cautious in their discussion about a possible recession, Bethune says it's "inevitable." The question, he says, is just how long until it happens and for how long will it occur? He sees Trump's admission of there being " some pain" on the horizon as only proof of the inevitability.
"At least they [the Trump administration] are not pretending that it's not disruptive, but they're basically soft-selling it, reflecting their ignorance about the way business operates," Bethune claims.
Also on Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest U.S. jobs data. Although the unemployment rate rose from 4.1% to 4.2% in March, the economy added 228,000 jobs, which was better than expected.
However, economists warn of what lies ahead. As University of Michican economics professor Betsey Stevenson put it, "Today's jobs report is like looking at your vacation photos after you had a horrible car crash on the way home."
1,000+ 'Hands Off!' Protests Planned Across US Saturday in Mass Mobilization Against Trump
"Immigration. Medicaid. Workers' rights. Unions. Education. You name it—we're drawing the line," wrote one union.
Apr 04, 2025
In what one outlet has reported is slated to be the largest single-day action to resist the Trump administration since U.S. President Donald Trump's return to power, hundreds of thousands of people nationwide are planning to mobilize on Saturday to say: "Hands Off!"
A list of locations for the events, which are not all slated to start at the same time on Saturday, can be found here.
Trump and Musk "think this country belongs to them," according to a website for the Hands Off! events. "This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history."
"They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They're handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich," according to the website's about page, which also notes nonviolent action is a "core principle" behind the events.
A spokesperson for the events told Common Dreams on Friday afternoon that the events have generated over 500,000 signups nationally, a number that is "growing rapidly," and there are over 1,000 events taking place on Saturday, a number that is "also growing steadily."
The actions are the latest warning sign for the Republican Party under Trump, who has allowed Elon Musk to play a core role in his administration, particularly in the administration's efforts to carry out cuts to federal personnel and spending.
Musk poured millions of dollars into a high-profile Wisconsin Supreme Court election that took place on April 1—helping to make it the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history by one tally—only to have his preferred candidate, judge Brad Schimel, lose.
"This is a huge signal from a battleground state that Americans are genuinely upset, genuinely angry, I think, with Trump and with Musk," said John Nichols, a correspondent for That Nation, when recapping the outcome of the race on Democracy Now!
Dozens of unions, watchdogs, and advocacy groups—such as Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Americans for Tax Fairness, and Accountable.US—are supporting the action as partners.
"People nationwide are rising up at hundreds of events to say one thing loud and clear: Hands Off!" wrote SEIU on the platform X, which is owned by Musk, on Friday. "Immigration. Medicaid. Workers' rights. Unions. Education. You name it—we're drawing the line."
The environmentalist iIll McKibben wrote on Bluesky on Wednesday: "Expect to see a lot of gray hair at the April 5 Hands Off rallies—we've been organizing like crazy at Third Act," a group that mobilizes Americans over the age of 60.
In early February, anti-Trump "Movement 50501" protests took place nationwide and protestors united under the slogan #TakedownTesla have also targeted Tesla, Musk's electric vehicle company, in recent weeks.
Lawsuit Says Union-Busting Trump Order Is 'Unconstitutional' Attack on Working Class
One union leader called President Donald Trump's executive order "the most significant assault on collective bargaining rights we have ever seen in the United States."
Apr 04, 2025
A coalition of labor unions representing federal workers across the United States sued the Trump administration on Friday over its recent order aimed at stripping union rights from more than a million government employees, a move that the lawsuit characterizes as a blatant violation of the First Amendment.
The suit, brought by unions that collectively represent more than 950,000 federal workers, stems from a March 27 order titled "Exclusions From Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs," in which President Donald Trump cites a provision of a 1978 law to deny collective bargaining rights to certain government workers on national security grounds.
But the unions behind the new lawsuit say the national security justification is a smokescreen to hide the true intent of the order: further eroding workers' organizing rights.
"Federal employees have had the right to join a union and bargain collectively for decades—through multiple wars, international conflicts, and a global health emergency during President Trump's first term," said Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees. "During all that time, they served the American people with honor and distinction. No one, including President Trump, ever suggested unions were a national security concern."
"Trump's newest order to revoke union rights is a clear case of retaliation," he added. "But I've got news for him: We are not going anywhere."
The lawsuit points specifically to language included in a fact sheet the White House released in conjunction with Trump's March 27 order. The document claims that "certain federal unions have declared war on President Trump's agenda," citing AFGE lawsuits against the administration and legal actions by Veterans Affairs unions.
Shortly after Trump signed the order last week, the administration sued AFGE and many of its local affiliates in federal court in an attempt to cancel dozens of collective bargaining agreements between unions and federal agencies. Reuters noted that the administration claimed the union contracts are impeding "Trump's abilities to purge the federal workforce and protect national security."
"The labor movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration's union-busting tactics silence us."
The unions' new lawsuit states that the "avowedly retaliatory nature" of Trump's executive order and its "attempt to punish federal unions who engage in politically disfavored speech and petitioning activities and decline to 'work with' the president renders it unconstitutional under the First Amendment."
The lawsuit also notes that billionaire Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and a top Trump lieutenant, has used his social media platform to promote a recent post that attacked several federal workers' unions by name.
"The president's unlawful executive order attacking federal unions is not only an attack on a million federal workers but is a direct attack on all workers who seek a collective voice to bargain for a better future," April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, said in a statement Friday. "This is blatant retaliation against brave workers who dared to exercise their First Amendment rights to criticize this administration's authoritarian overreach. The labor movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration’s union-busting tactics silence us."
Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), called Trump's order "the most significant assault on collective bargaining rights we have ever seen in the United States" and said it is "clear that this executive order is retaliation for federal unions fighting back against the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle the civil service."
"This is yet another direct attack by the President not only on federal employees, but also veterans, working families, and the very fabric of our democracy," said Erwin. "However, federal workers' collective bargaining rights are protected by law and President Trump does not have the right to unilaterally eliminate them. NFFE and our allies are confident the rule of law will be upheld, and the critical rights of working people will be protected."
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