We don’t ‘grovel’: Iran denies asking to come to White House for negotiations, calls Trump a ‘has-been warmonger’

By Jacob Magid

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18 June 2025, 6:00 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

This photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, shows Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a televised speech, under a portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, June 13, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Iran’s Mission to the UN denies US President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran has proposed coming to the White House for negotiations to end the ongoing conflict with Israel.

“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian mission says.

“Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance,” it adds.

“Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat, and to any action with reciprocal measures,” the Iranian mission tweets.