Ceasefire in US Economic War Prerequisite for Talks: Iran

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi says Tehran would sit for talks with Washington only if the US stops its economic war against the Islamic Republic.

Speaking in a Sunday interview with The Independent at the Iranian mission to the UN in New York, Araqchi said no country would sit for talks under pressure.

The US must first implement a ceasefire in its economic war against Iran in order to do real talks and find sustainable solutions, he added.

He said the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” policy has produced maximum resistance from Iran, and the country will continue to resist.

The senior diplomat also warned that the country will show military resistance in case the US’ maximum pressure turns into military pressure.

On Sunday night, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour quoted Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying that the Iranian president is “willing” to meet his American counterpart if the US lifts its sanctions in exchange for permanent monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program.

“Iranian FM Zarif tells me today that President Rouhani is willing to meet with President Trump in New York this week ‘provided that President Trump is ready to do what’s necessary,’ exchanging sanctions relief for ‘permanent monitoring of Iranian nuclear facilities,’” Amanpour said.

US President Donald Trump also said earlier in the day that he had no plans to meet with President Rouhani, but he was open to hearing the Iranian president’s peace plan.

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