Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alawi said the failure of the US administration’s policy of sanctions against the Islamic Republic has made Washington’s allies offer to enter talks with Tehran, Tasnim News Agency reported.

The US’ allies have secretly proposed holding talks with Iran, Alawi told reporters.

“When the US’ allies found out that [US President Donald] Trump could not do anything [against Iran] despite all the hullabaloo, they made secret proposals for negotiations [with Iran],” he added.

Denouncing the US president’s “unwise” move to blacklist the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the intelligence minister said Trump received a slap in the face from the Iranian nation when all of the people expressed solidarity with the IRGC.

He also stressed that the US measure against the IRGC strengthened the unity of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Trump on Monday announced that Washington designates the IRGC a foreign “terrorist organization.”

Responding to the move, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council declared the US as a state sponsor of terrorism and the US forces in the region—terrorists.