The US president should try respect instead of threats and sanctions in dealing with Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday in response to Donald Trump's offer of direct talks without preconditions.
"Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord—the JCPOA. It's been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table. Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won't work. Try respect: for Iranians & for int'l commitments," Zarif wrote on his official Twitter account.
In May Trump pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—that was signed before he took office, denouncing it as biased in Iran's favor. The agreement was signed by the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
Iran nuclear deal was formally endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. In throwing it out, not only has the Trump administration disregarded its allies and friends, it has violated a multinational agreement.
The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly confirmed that Iran is abiding fully to the terms of the nuclear agreement.
On Monday, the embattled US leader declared that he is willing to meet President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions to discuss key issues of conflict between the two estranged nations.
Mutual Respect
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Tuesday that pressure and sanctions do not go hand in hand with dialogue, which requires mutual respect and commitment to international obligations.
"Mr. Trump has offered to hold talks with Iran while the United States has pulled out of the JCPOA without any justification, which goes against all international regulations, and has reimposed unjust sanctions against the Iranian nation," he told IRNA.
Exact Opposite
"Sanctions and pressure are the exact opposite of dialogue," Qasemi said, adding that Iran has always favored negotiations and honored its international commitments.
"Can Mr. Trump make the same statement? Dialogue has some requirements and conditions that so far have not been evident in the words and actions of Mr. Trump and his colleagues. How can he prove to the Iranian people that his last night's comments reflect a true intention and have not been made to deceive the public?"
Chaotic Foreign Policy
It remains to be seen whether Trump has seriously decided to stop using the language of threat, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, noting that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks on talks with Iran show White House foreign policy is in disarray.
Qasemi was referring to the fact that Pompeo listed specific conditions for talks hours after Trump spoke.
"If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it's worthwhile to enter into a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he's prepared to sit down and have the conversation with them," Pompeo told CNBC.
Support for Trump
US State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said on Tuesday that Pompeo supports Trump's statement that he is willing to sit down for talks with Iranian officials.
She told a briefing that Pompeo had said previously that Trump wants to meet with international leaders to solve problems, including with Iranian officials, Reuters reported.
When asked whether Pompeo specifically supported talking to the Iranians without preconditions, however, Nauert avoided using that phrase and said Washington would like to see changes in Iran's behavior but "what is important is that we would be willing to sit down and have these conversations."
No Plan
A senior US State Department official said on Tuesday that Pompeo will not meet Zarif during an upcoming meeting of Southeast Asian nations in Singapore.
"Iran is not a member of any of the multilateral gatherings so there are no plans for any engagement with Iran," the unidentified official told reporters to preview Pompeo's visit to Singapore, Reuters reported.
Zarif and Pompeo will attend Saturday's meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc known as ASEAN.
Not North Korea
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said Tuesday Iran is not North Korea to accept the US president's offer for a meeting.
Iranian officials will never request a meeting with the US nor will they receive permission from the nation to hold such talks, ISNA quoted him as saying in a statement.
"Even future US presidents will not see that day," he added, noting that the Tehran is well aware of US acts of deception.
In related news, Ali Motahari, a senior lawmaker, said Tuesday that it would be a "humiliation" to negotiate with Trump under current circumstances.
"If Trump had not withdrawn from the JCPOA and not imposed sanctions, I think there would have been no problem with negotiations with America," he told reporters, ICANA reported.
He maintains that Iran missed a chance to engage in dialogue with the US when Barack Obama was president.
"It would have been better if we had established relations with the US and entered into negotiations under Obama. We missed that opportunity," he said.
Iran and Washington severed ties shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Motahari said he believes in dialogue on an equal footing and under the right circumstances, but added that talks with the Americans at this juncture is not appropriate and would mean humiliation.
He noted that there is a difference between building a relationship and engaging in negotiations.
"Dialogue is different from relations. We may want to establish relations to provide certain facilities for Iranians living in America. But negotiations means we want to reach an agreement on various issues. These are two issues that should be seen separately."
No Value
Kamal Kharrazi, head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations and a former foreign minister, said on Tuesday Tehran sees no value in Trump's sit-down offer.
"Given our bad experience in negotiations with America and repeated violations of commitments by the US officials, it is natural that we see no value in his proposal," ISNA quoted him as saying.
Kharrazi believes that Trump needs to first show respect for Washington's international obligations and make reparations for the damage he caused by his withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement.
Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri, a senior cleric and member of the Expediency Council, said on Tuesday that Trump's suggestion should not be rejected outright and should be discussed in the Supreme National Security Council, ICANA reported.
Iran should contemplate the gesture but should not rejoice over this offer and get too excited, the former Majlis speaker said, cautioning that Trump may also be trying take advantage of Tehran's “excitement.”
