Foreign Ministry: No Talks Under Pressure
TEHRAN -- Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday reiterated the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers but made it clear that Tehran is not willing to negotiate under pressure and threats.
Speaking at a weekly press conference, Nasser Kanaani said American officials know that Iran is not ready to negotiate under pressure and threats.
He said Iran’s stance on the talks is “completely clear” and that Tehran is committed to the diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement.
The spokesman noted that reaching an agreement would serve the interests of Iran, the U.S. and European parties to the deal, urging the European countries not to surrender to Washington and its imposed conditions.
He also said Iran had fulfilled its obligations under the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and it was the U.S. that violated the agreement.
The European parties to the deal also did not fulfill their commitments and could not compensate the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the deal, he added.
Asked about a draft resolution aimed to expel Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Kanaani said, “Any misuse of the internal developments in Iran to exert political pressure on our country is condemned and unacceptable.”
The European Union and some western countries have imposed sanctions on Iran over its approach toward the riots.
The Iranian spokesman also said that the U.S. and certain European countries are behind that “political and illegal” draft resolution and that they are seeking to exert pressure on independent countries to pass it.
He said the U.S. move is “an action against the free vote of countries in international organizations and structures.”
“There are member countries of the UN Security Council or the
Human Rights Council and human rights assemblies that committed countless crimes against governments and independent nations throughout their history, and now use human rights tools to exert pressure,” he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Kanaani said the Saudi-funded Iran International TV channel plays a role in fomenting chaos in Iran, noting that Iran has taken legal actions against it.
He also condemned the misuse of the internal developments in Iran by some foreign parties that pursue their political interests.