‘Bullying’ powers’ call for talks with Iran not aimed at solving issues: Khamenei
Tehran, March 9 (IANS) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that certain “bullying” powers’ insistence on holding talks with Iran is not aimed at resolving issues but rather at imposing their own expectations.
Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with government officials on Saturday, responding to calls, notably from US President Donald Trump, for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, according to footage released by the leader’s office.
“Their negotiation is not for resolving issues, but for dominating and imposing what they want on the other side,” said the Iranian leader.
He warned that if the other side refuses to negotiate, those powers will create an uproar, accusing it of “distancing itself from and abandoning the negotiating table,” reports Xinhua news agency.
Iran’s nuclear issue is not those powers’ sole focus, and “they are raising new expectations, which will definitely not be met by Iran,” Khamenei said.
He cited Britain, France and Germany accusing Tehran of failing to meet its 2015 nuclear deal commitments, noting those countries have also neglected their obligations under the same agreement from day one.
Following the US withdrawal from the deal, the Europeans promised to compensate but broke their pledges, Khamenei added.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.
However, during Trump’s first term, the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments.
In an interview with Fox Business Network broadcast Friday, Trump said he wants to negotiate the nuclear issue with Iran and had sent a letter to the country’s leadership.
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said on Friday that Iran had not yet received any letter from Trump.
–IANS
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