Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned his nation received’t conform to direct nuclear talks with the US whereas President Donald Trump persists together with his hard-line coverage in opposition to the Islamic Republic.
“We won’t negotiate beneath stress, sanctions, or threats,” Araghchi mentioned in a televised press convention alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on Tuesday. Direct negotiations between Iran and the US on the nuclear problem will likely be unattainable “so long as most stress is being utilized on this method,” Araghchi mentioned.
Trump has vowed to squeeze Iran’s economic system and goal its oil exports as a part of a return to the “most stress” technique that he deployed in his first time period. That led to the 2018 US withdrawal from a landmark worldwide deal that restricted Iran’s atomic actions in change for sanctions reduction.
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Iran’s stockpile of close to weapons-grade enriched uranium has since surged. Araghchi mentioned Iran will cooperate totally on its nuclear affairs — however solely with “pals” China and Russia.
Since returning to workplace final month, Trump has mentioned he desires Iran to conform to a brand new nuclear settlement, however Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the thought earlier this month, saying negotiating with the US “received’t resolve any of the nation’s issues.”
Talking alongside Araghchi, Lavrov mentioned Russia will pursue diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem.
“We’re satisfied that the device of diplomacy stays,” Lavrov mentioned. “It can’t be uncared for — it have to be used as successfully as potential with none threats and with out hints at the potential for sure forceful options.”
Iran and the US haven’t had direct, formal ties because the 1979 Islamic revolution and former negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal came about by means of mediators. Araghchi didn’t point out whether or not oblique or mediated talks with the US are nonetheless on the desk.
Lavrov’s go to to Tehran comes as Trump aligns with Russia and President Vladimir Putin over its invasion of Ukraine, sparking robust criticism and concern from each Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and far of Europe.
It’s unclear what influence the US’s pivot to Moscow can have on Putin’s alliance with Iran, which has deepened because the begin of the struggle and has concerned purchases of huge quantities of Iranian drones and a plan to develop a significant buying and selling hall utilizing the Caspian Sea.
Araghchi mentioned he and Lavrov mentioned commerce and transport ties and held detailed and “superb” discussions on the way forward for Syria and Gaza, including that they each “strongly condemned” Trump’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from the territory.
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