Iranian officials reject talks with the US under current circumstances

Tabnak – Despite unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, the United States has been claiming that it’s open to new diplomatic interactions with Iran. Iranian officials reiterate that no such a thing could happen unless Washington resumes honoring the JCPOA commitments.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the US must return to a 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement and end its economic terrorism against the Islamic Republic as a prerequisite for negotiations.

“The United States is engaged in an economic war against the Iranian people and it won’t be possible for us to engage with the United States unless they stop imposing a war and engaging in economic terrorism against the Iranian people,” Zarif told reporters in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Thursday.

“So if they want to come back into the room there is a ticket that they need to purchase and that ticket is to observe the agreement,” he added. Zarif also stressed that Iran does not want to meet for the sake of meeting, saying, “We need to meet if there is a result.”

The Iranian deputy foreign minister has also rejected the possibility of any negotiations between Tehran and Washington, saying it would only happen when the US returns to the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"We are only talking with the European countries over our specific 11 demands [based on the JCPOA] and we will not negotiate with the US," Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said in a TV interview on Wednesday night.

He added that "no country would accept to enter negotiations while being under maximum pressure," because doing so would mean "surrender." The top diplomat also reiterated that talks with the US within the framework of the JCPOA would only materialize should Washington lift all of its sanctions against Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic has become the target of an all-out economic and political war by the enemies but it can and will come out on top in the end.

Speaking at the at a ceremony marking the start of the Government Week, Rouhani said the Iranian government was subjected to a similar campaign of pressure during the early days of the 1979 Islamic Revolution but defeated the enemy with help from the nation.

"Today the country is faced with different types of problems and is subjected to an economic, psychological and to some extent political war," he said on Wednesday.

"We should end this war with a victory for the Iranian nation and not only this is achievable, it is certain considering our nation's history and its record and God's promises," he added.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had earlier rejected a demand by French President Emmanuel Macron for a meeting with US President Donald Trump, arguing that Washington needs to lift all its bans if it really seeks negotiations with Tehran.