Iran First VP Rules Out Negotiations with US ahead of Trump Decision

Iran's First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri says Tehran is not going to enter into new talks with the US, as trying to reach new agreements with a country who has a terrible record in fulfilling its obligations would be “foolish”.

“Considering its unfaithfulness [to the deal], it would be foolish to engage in [a new round of] negotiations with this country (the US),” Jahangiri said.

The vice-president made the statement while addressing a gathering in a Tehran University campus in Karaj west of the capital on Tuesday, a report by the Persian-language Tasnim News Agency said.

Praising the nuclear pact as a remarkable achievement in the history of diplomacy, Jahangiri said killing the deal will leave a stain on the reputation of the US.

France, along with other European powers, Germany and Britain, has for a while been requesting Iran to start talks on an agreement that will curb Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional activities.

They argue the restrictions is the only way to prevent the termination of the 2015 nuclear deal by the US President Donald Trump.

Trump has threatened he will refuse to extend the temporary waivers on US sanctions, which were suspended under the nuclear pact, unless what he calls “disastrous flaws” of the nuclear deal are fixed.

Failing to curb Iran’s missile program and regional activities are one of the so-called flaws of the deal that placed confidence-building curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the removal of the US, EU and UN sanctions on Iran.

The refusal of the US to keep the sanctions frozen will mean Washington is no longer bound by the pact.

May 12 was the deadline for Trump to decide whether to remain in the deal, but he said last night that he will announce his decision on Tuesday.

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