Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently hinted at a willingness to attend a meeting with US President Donald Trump. But, amid hopes for a meeting to take place between the leaders of Iran and the United States after four decades, he changed his mind over the last 48 hours.

Rouhani said Aug. 26 in a public speech, "If I knew that I was going to have a meeting with someone and [that the meeting would lead to] prosperity for my country and people's problems would be resolved, I would not hesitate.” Rouhani said a meeting is planned Aug. 29 with “related officials,” including Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Zarif made an unannounced visit to Biarritz, France, coinciding with the G-7. He came at the invitation of his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian and, in addition to meeting the French foreign minister, spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the summit.

Meanwhile, a short clip of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s speech voicing his opposition to negotiations with the United States was released on conservative media.

Following his comments, hard-liners launched a wave of attacks on Rouhani to force him to retreat from his approach. “Your negotiation [with Trump] will impose another loss and disaster like the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)] on the nation, and … it would have no results other than [to be] a gift to Trump in the upcoming [2020 US presidential elections]. Your phone conversation with [former US President Barack] Obama [in 2013] was a big gift to him and a greater insult to the Iranian nation,” wrote hard-line Kayhan newspaper chief editor Hossein Shariatmadari Aug. 28.