Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the resumption of nuclear negotiations with the United States saying Washington is laying “excessive and illogical” conditions which have stalled the talks.
“The talks will not restart as long as the U.S. is making excessive and illegal demands,” he told reporters on Wednesday upon arriving in the northeastern city of Mashhad to open the Provincial Diplomacy Conference.
“Mr. (Steve) Witkoff has been making indirect contacts with us and sending messages through intermediaries,” he added.
Araghchi and Steve Witkoff the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, held five rounds of mediated talks in Oman and Italy this year which were discontinued after the U.S. President Donald Trump joined Israel’s attacks on Iran and bombed the nuclear facilities in June.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei echoed Araghchi’s statements and said the renaming of the U.S. Department of Defense to the Department of War reflects Washington’s lack of belief in diplomacy.
“The U.S. policy of bullying and intimidation has troubled the entire international relations system,” he said at a meeting with university students in Mashhad.
“None of IAEA reports indicated that Iran's nuclear program has become militarised,” he said referring to the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency, “Our resilience has been proven, but logic requires to strengthen ourselves more than ever.”
Tehran suspended its ties with IAEA for failing to condemn the Israel-U.S. airstrikes on its peaceful nuclear sites in June and for agency’s report on Iran’s “non-compliance” which Iran said served as a pretext for bombing of its nuclear centers.
Baghaei also rejected return of UN sanctions and said that China and Russia as two permanent members of the Security Council as well as 120 member states of the Non-Aligned Movement have opposed West’s interpretation on re-installment of nuclear sanctions under Resolution 2231.
Araghchi told the participants of the conference on provincial diplomacy that economic ties with neighboring countries are the “breathing space” in the wake of sanctions.
“Iran's trade exchanges with each of its neighboring countries are more than total trade with Europe which indicates importance of economic ties with neighbors.”
“Smugglers and terrorists do not cross the borders through which goods are exchanged and passengers travel. As the saying goes, if local officials in border provinces reach agreements, the borders will become borders of peace,” he added.
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Tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in Tehran and across at least 28 cities in a wave of anti-government demonstrations, now entering their twelfth day.
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