Zelensky’s face-off with Trump sparks debate in Iran on implications of Tehran-Washington negotiations
Iran’s Jomhuri-e Eslami newspaper highlighted in its Thursday edition that Zelensky, despite Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, defended his nation’s interests and demonstrated that accepting negotiations does not equate to surrender.
The defiance, it argued, resonated globally, as Zelensky refused to concede to Trump’s pressure, including demands over Ukraine’s natural resources.
“Trump, like many observers, did not expect such firmness from Zelensky. It was widely assumed that by agreeing to negotiate at the White House, Zelensky would easily yield to Trump’s demands, including signing over Ukraine’s mining rights to the US. However, Zelensky demonstrated that accepting negotiations does not mean surrender,” it noted.
Meanwhile, Iran’s political landscape has been divided over the implications of last week’s meeting at the White House.
Reformists have used the encounter to advocate for Iran to engage in talks with the US, suggesting that Zelensky’s approach could serve as a model.
However, the conservative Javan newspaper criticized the interpretation, accusing reformists of distorting the narrative.
It argued that Trump’s “disrespectful and domineering” behavior during the meeting validates Iran’s refusal to negotiate with the US, emphasizing that “Washington seeks not dialogue but submission.”
Source: IFP Editorial Staff