Khatibzadeh: Iran not to accept anything beyond JCPOA

Khatibzadeh was speaking on Monday at his weekly press briefing.
He added that Iran will not tolerate any demand that it accept benefits less than what’s laid out in the deal.

He noted that Iran is attending the Vienna talks to achieve a good deal. He expressed hope that the other sides will seize this opportunity.

Khatibzadeh maintained that Iran has kept the JCPOA alive alone thanks to its strategic patience following the US’s unilateral withdrawal from the agreement.

He added that the Islamic Republic cannot afford to pay the price alone for this purpose.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman referred to the top Iraqi diplomat’s remarks about direct talks between Iran and the US. He said Iran trusts the Iraqi officials and that the US itself whether under former president Donald Trump or under the current President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for talks with Iran while at the same time Washington imposes sanctions on Tehran.

Khatibzadeh noted that Iran must see a change in the US behavior before responding to such requests.

He added that the Iranian government seeks to achieve the rights and interests of the Iranian people. Khatibzadeh added that in line with this policy, Iran’s negotiating team in Vienna is exchanging drafts with the US indirectly and indirect talks in writing are underway between the two sides.

He also spoke about the martyrdom anniversary of General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone attack in January 2020. Khatibzadeh said launching a terrorist attack on a personality who was at the frontline of the fight against terrorism was a double standard on part of the false pretenders to fighting against terrorism.

He added that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will not spare any effort to bring to justice the criminals who assassinated General Soleimani.

Khatibazdeh noted that Iran and Iraq have signed a joint agreement aimed at pursuing the case through legal channels.

He described the European troika’s role in the Vienna talks as non-constructive, saying all sides should come to the negotiating table with a firm determination to reach a good agreement.

Kahtibzadeh added that it would be a mistake for any party to the talks to think they can waste the energy of other sides through misinformation campaigns.

Elsewhere in the news briefing, Khatibzadeh turned to the Yemen crisis. He condemned the complicity of some European countries in the war on Yemen through supplying the Saudi-led coalition with arms and military hardware amid the silence of international organizations. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tehran believes the Yemen
crisis can only be resolved through political means.

Khatibzadeh also reaffirmed Iran’s continued support for the people of Yemen, saying Tehran will at the same time make efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the country.

Khatibzadeh also condemned the Israeli regime’s anti-Iran moves, saying this is an entity which has its roots in insecurity, terrorism and sedition. He referred to former US president Donald Trump’s comment that he was deceived by Israel. Khatibzadeh said that is the inevitable fate of all countries seeking normalization with Israel.