US Officials Not Deserving to Negotiate with Iran: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Spokesman for the Iranian Administration Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said the American officials who have reneged on the international 2015 nuclear deal approved by the United Nations Security Council do not deserve to negotiate with the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to reporters during his weekly press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Nobakht rejected the possibility of any renegotiation of the nuclear deal with the US following President Donald Trump’s recent move to leave the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Prior (to the decision), Trump was willing to hold talks with us; however, with whom are we to negotiate? Are we to negotiate with the ones who renege on official agreements approved by the UNSC?” he said.
“No, the Americans do not deserve to sit at the negotiating table with Iranian delegates,” the spokesman added.
He further pointed to the US plots against Iran over the past 40 years and said since 2011, Washington has imposed massive sanctions against Tehran but it has failed to cripple the Islamic Republic’s economy.
In a speech from the White House on May 8, Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing the US withdrawal from the 2015 agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the controversial decision, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran weighs plans to remain in the agreement with the other five parties, provided that they ensure full benefits for Iran.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has underlined that any decision to keep the deal running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the three European parties to the JCPOA.
