Seyed Mohammad Marandi: Disregard Trump and Axios

American senators have reached an agreement with the Donald Trump administration on intensifying sanctions against Russia. Meanwhile, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an expert close to Iran's negotiating team, issued a statement emphasizing that no negotiations between Iran and the United States will take place as long as the Trump administration does not fulfill its commitments. Marandi also called on the media, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and other parties to disregard Trump's statements and media reports and to judge based on the practical conduct of the U.S. government.

• Marandi stated that the Qataris claim to be mediators but in practice violate the agreements that have been reached.
• American senators and the Trump administration have agreed on sanctions against Russia.
• Marandi emphasized that Iran's position is that no negotiations will take place until the U.S. government takes concrete action.
• Marandi advised the media and Iranian officials to disregard statements and media reports about Trump and instead act solely on the basis of the actual measures taken by the U.S. government.. Coverage difference: Iranian media outlets published the first part of the news (senators' agreement on Russia sanctions) superficially and only in the headlines of two news agencies (ISNA and Mehr News), but the overwhelming majority of coverage (six of nine sources) repeatedly focused on Marandi's statement and his position against negotiations until the U.S. government takes concrete action; only "Breaking News" included additional details about Iran's position regarding Qatar's role in mediation.