President Raisi says he won’t meet Biden during upcoming US visit

President Raisi made the comment during an interview with CBS News in response to the question that whether he is "open to a meeting with President Biden? A face-to-face?"

"No. I don't think that such a meeting would happen. I don't believe having a meeting or a talk with him will be beneficial," Raisi said.

In response to another question that what differences are between the Biden administration and the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump, the Iranian president said the new administration in the US claims that it is different from the Trump administration.

“They have said it in their messages to us. But we haven't witnessed any changes in reality,” Raisi added.

On Sep. 15, in an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera News Channel, the Iranian president also ruled out the possibility of direct talks with the US over the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Raisi said that direct talks with Washington over the JCPOA revival have no benefit and the US should take trust-building measures.

The Iranian president stressed that his administration is determined to defend the country’s interests, adding that safeguards issues should be resolved in order for the nuclear negotiations to make progress.

The latest round of the JCPOA revival talks, in which the US participated indirectly, ended between Iran and the remaining parties to the deal last month.

The EU, as the coordinator of the talks, presented a draft text of proposals at the end of the negotiations in Vienna.  

Iran has already presented its response to the EU proposals and says that the US should make a political decision so that a revival deal is reached and Washington returns to its commitments under the JCPOA which it withdrew from in May 2018.