Iran doesnt rule out potential talks with Trump says national interest paramount

Iran doesn’t rule out potential talks with Trump, says national interest paramount

TEHRAN – In response to a question regarding potential negotiations with the incoming U.S. administration at a press conference on Tuesday, Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated that Iran will proactively work to secure its interests.

"We will prioritize actions that uphold the country's interests and the core values of our revolution," Mohajerani said. 

Referring to Donald Trump's so-called maximum pressure campaign during his first term, Mohajerani warned against repeating past mistakes. 

She urged the president-elect to consider the failures of his previous policies regarding Iran, emphasizing that actions speak louder than words. 

In response to a Wall Street Journal reporter's question about Iran's possible actions if Trump deviates from the maximum pressure policy, Mohajerani noted that Trump's strategy had already demonstrated its ineffectiveness, even amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. 

Additionally, she called on the American leader to steer clear of any decisions that could undermine the rights of the Iranian people. 

In 2015, Iran successfully negotiated a nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the P5+1—comprising China, France, Russia, the U.K., the U.S., and Germany. 

Donald Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal in May 2018, has recently been elected as the 47th President of the United States and is scheduled to take office in January 2025. 

The U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear pact was coupled with anti-Iran sanctions deemed illegal under international law. The sanctions primarily aim to cripple the West Asian country’s economy and impose significant hardships on the Iranian populace. 

Reflecting on the repercussions of Trump's maximum pressure policy during his first term, Iran’s Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Saturday that this approach resulted in a notable increase in Iran's uranium enrichment levels, which surged from 3.5 percent to 60 percent. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee asserted that Trump lacks new methods to exert pressure on Iran, declaring that the incoming president's arsenal of threats, sanctions, and coercive tactics against Iran was depleted during his first term in office. 

"Whether the Democratic Donkey or the Republican Elephant holds power, it has no impact on Iran's foreign policy," the spokesperson said. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously said that Iran may change its tactics when it comes to foreign policy, but its core principles will never change. 

source: tehrantimes.com