On Tuesday, in Tehran, Mr. Trump’s open invitation seemed to be on everybody’s mind. “So we should welcome talks,” he said. “Our leaders should welcome this opportunity.”But if anything, Iran’s leaders seem paralyzed by Mr. Trump’s offer. Direct talks with the United States go against their ideology. When dealing with the United States over the past decades, Iranian leaders have often preferred to do it through secret talks, far away from ordinary Iranians, who are bombarded daily with organized anti-Americanism from their schoolbooks to state television.

Source: New York Times July 31, 2018 18:45 UTC