FM: Iran Not to Negotiate Under Sanctions, Threats
Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi stressed that Tehran is not willing to negotiate with the United States under threats and harsh sanctions.
Speaking at a rally in the Iranian city of Hamadan marking the 46th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution on Monday, Araqchi emphasized that Tehran would never engage in negotiations under pressure as per Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s stance on talks that is entirely based on logic and strategic reasoning.He dismissed calls for negotiations from the United States, particularly under the administration of Donald Trump, describing them as deceptive.“The Islamic Revolution was founded to ensure that no foreign power could dictate terms to the Iranian people and their leaders,” he continued, stating, “The core principle of our foreign policy is ‘Neither East, nor West’, which means independence from all global powers, not disengagement.”Araqchi made it clear that Iran had no trust in negotiations with the US, given Washington’s history of failing to uphold agreements.“Iran negotiated in good faith and reached a deal, but the outcome was nothing but non-compliance and withdrawal by the other party,” he stated, referring to Washington’s unilateral and illegal exit from the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers.The top diplomat emphasized that refusing to negotiate with the United States was, therefore, a calculated.
"Trusting the US again is not a rational choice. The Iranian people demanded independence because our country was once entirely dependent on the West and lacked sovereignty," Araqchi stated, referring to the country’s situation under its former US-backed Pahlavi regime.Citing an instance of Iran’s submission to Washington under the monarchical regime, he recalled a historical moment."In an interview, when Shah (the former monarch) was asked why he was leaving Iran [amid the imminent prospect of the Revolution’s victory], he responded that 'they ordered me to go,' referring to the Americans. This highlights the extent of foreign influence over our nation before the Revolution," the senior diplomat said.Still referring to standing conflicts with the US, Araqchi asserted, “No nation negotiates under duress unless it intends to surrender. Why should we negotiate while facing threats and sanctions?” he asked.Araqchi was pointing to Washington’s so-called policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran, which the former pursues while simultaneously claiming to be open to talks, an approach that Iran categorically dismisses as insincere, untenable, and unworkable.“When they do nothing but impose sanctions and issue threats, what reason do we have to trust them?” he asked.
The foreign minister stressed that Iran’s leadership, backed by the will of the people, would never allow external forces to impose their will on the country.Citing a case of prudent relevant leadership savvy, Araqchi praised the Supreme Leader’s recent remarks on negotiations, calling them “entirely intelligent and rooted in logic".He reiterated that accordingly, Iran remained steadfast in resisting coercion and would continue to stand firm against hegemonic pressures.
The remarks came days after Ayatollah Khamenei stressed experience has shown that negotiations with the US do not affect solving Iran's problems."Some people pretend that if we sit at the negotiating table, some problem will be solved, but the fact that we must understand correctly is that negotiating with the US has no effect on solving the country's problems,” the Leader stated on Friday.He cited the experience of 2015 when Iran and six other countries, including the US, signed the now-dormant Joint Comprehensive of Plant of Action (JCPOA) after two years of negotiations, only to be discarded by President Trump in 2018.“Our government at the time sat down and negotiated - they continued to come and go, they sat down and stood up and negotiated, they talked, laughed, shook hands, made friends, everyone worked, and a treaty was formed," Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized."In this treaty, the Iranian side was very generous, giving many concessions to the other side. But the Americans did not implement the same treaty," the Leader stated."The same person who is in office now tore up the treaty. He said he would tear it down and he did; they didn't act upon" the agreement, he added, referring to Trump.“Therefore, negotiating with such a government is unwise, unintelligent and dishonorable and there should be no negotiation with it," he stressed.
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