Iran’s president: US must prove willingness for talks

In a meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations and parties on Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said the issue of talks with the US is different from interaction with other countries, because the US has put intense pressure on Iran and issues threats constantly.

“We believe in negotiations, but not abjectly. We hold talks with the whole world and do not have a fight with anybody, but we won’t give in to humiliation either and won’t hold negotiations at any price,” the president added.

Reiterating Iran’s rejection of war, chaos and nuclear weapons, Pezeshkian said, “We are after negotiations, but they (the US) should also prove that they seek negotiations.”

The notion that Iran has no intention of using its nuclear capabilities for non-peaceful purposes is based on a religious decree issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the president also stated.

In comments on Saturday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to the course of diplomacy, saying Tehran will agree to negotiations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions.

Araqchi denounced the US for its unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, though Iran had made a series of voluntary arrangements to give assurances about the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.

“Having had that experience, we are now prepared for negotiations on our nuclear program and the removal of sanctions on the basis of the logic of trust-building in exchange for the lifting of the cruel sanctions against Iran,” the minister stated.

However, Araqchi deplored the US’ contradictory policy of calling for direct negotiations and threatening to resort to force, which he said violates the UN Charter, saying such conduct is meaningless although Iran is still ready to test the course of indirect talks.