Khamenei's chief of staff says Trump ‘begged’ for talks with Tehran

A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump “begged” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for negotiations, describing the move as “unprecedented.”

“How is it that the president of a major power writes a letter and pleads for negotiations? This is unprecedented,” said Gholamhossein Mohammadi Golpayegani, Khamenei’s chief of staff, speaking at a public event in Tehran.

Golpayegani added that Iran’s supreme leader routinely overshadows visiting dignitaries. “I’ve seen it myself — no matter who the guest is, the Leader speaks with such command that he stands a head above them. He is a scholar, a poet, a geographer, a historian — unmatched.”

He also reiterated Iran’s defiance in the face of Western pressure over uranium enrichment. “They want to tell us not to enrich uranium — that’s utter nonsense,” he said.