The Times of Israel reports: “The Kremlin, asked on Monday if Russia had held consultations with Iran before or after Tehran responded to a letter from US President Donald Trump urging the country to negotiate a nuclear deal, said Iran formulates its own policy positions.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations, a day after Trump said he had sent a letter urging Iran to engage in talks on a new nuclear deal.

Asked if Moscow had consulted with Tehran before or after Trump’s letter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters:

‘No. Iran is a sovereign country and independently formulates its position on key foreign policy issues. It is clear that very tense contacts are ahead.’

Trump had previously reimposed a policy of ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran, aimed at preventing the country from building nuclear weapons, even while signaling openness to a new nuclear accord with Tehran…”