Ayatollah’s “Read My Lips” Moment: “No Talks with US at Any Level”

Apparently responding to reports that American President Donald Trump continues to press for a tête-à-tête with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations later this month, Iran’s Supreme Ruler, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reported by state television to have declared on Tuesday that, “There will be no talks with the U.S. at any level.” He specifically noted that this position is unanimous among “all officials in the Islamic Republic.” But despite the apparent moderation from the typical Trump rhetoric aimed at Tehran, the President has been adamant that there are a number of options available to him that are being vetted and strongly hinted that a military response was low on the list – even as the list of the Iranian regime’s aggression continues to grow. Also, of interest is Saudi Arabia’s lack of urgency to retaliate in the wake of the attack. Comments from the kingdom notably stopped short of directly accusing the Iranians.