News / Politics

Iran envoy to UN: No talks with US as long as it keeps up economic terrorism

Wednesday, 11 September 2019 5:49 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 11 September 2019 6:08 AM ]

Iranian Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-e Ravanchi

Iran has ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the United States as long as Washington sticks to its policy of “economic terrorism” and sanctions against the Iranian nation.

Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-e Ravanchi said Iran has repeatedly declared that “there is no room for talks as long as the US administration’s economic terrorism and cruel sanctions against the Iranian people are in place.”

“The topic could be discussed only when they (the Americans) lift the sanctions,” and that any such talks would be possible within the framework of the P5+1 group of states — comprising the US, the UK, France, China, and Russia plus Germany — which successfully negotiated and clinched a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.

The US under President Donald Trump abandoned that historic accord in May 2018 and unleashed a “maximum pressure” campaign — mainly focused on the Iranian economy — coupled with military threats.

Having failed in his hawkish Iran policy, Trump has been offering talks with senior Iranian officials in recent months, while keeping up the pressure.

Tehran says it will not negotiate under pressure and wants the US to lift its sanctions and begin respecting the Iranian nation’s rights before seeking any dialog.

‘Bolton’s firing of no concern to Iran’

Asked about Trump’s decision to sack the White House’s most ardent Iran hawk National Security Adviser John Bolton, Takht-e Ravanchi said changes within governments are “domestic matters.”

“We do not adopt any stance toward ther countries’ internal issues,” he added.

Takht-e Ravanchi pointed to a press conference at the White House shortly after Bolton’s sacking, saying Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin just made it clear that the US planned on maintaining the maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

“Our stance is, therefore, clear. The Americans are well aware that we will not accept ‘maximum pressure’ at all,” Tehran’s UN envoy stressed.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi quoted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying that Tehran “will not be issuing any statement on US internal affairs.”

@JZarif response to an American reporter asking for a comment on @AmbJohnBolton's firing: " We will not be issuing any statement on US internal affairs. "
— S.A MOUSAVI (@SAMOUSAVI9) September 10, 2019

On Tuesday, Trump abruptly fired Bolton amid policy disagreements with his aide, who was believed to be the driving force behind the US president’s highly belligerent Iran policy.

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