Negotiations between Tehran and Washington are no longer a taboo but given the presence of a belligerent president in the White House, the odds are high for such a political dialogue, a lawmaker said.
According to Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, talks between Iran and the US are not inconceivable any more, as the two countries' foreign ministers met during negotiations leading to the 2015 nuclear deal and in follow-up sessions under former US president, Barack Obama.
"Iran's approaches in today's world have reached a level of maturity that negotiation even with governments that adopt anti-Iranian policies is not regarded a taboo," the parliamentarian told a press conference on Saturday, ISNA reported.
Falahatpisheh noted that the two countries are on course for a showdown in relations, which could either turn out to be war or dialogue.
"The option of war and military confrontation is not in fact part of the two sides' policies, but what is more likely is that they will move toward a new atmosphere of negotiation," he said.
"However, whether this will happen during the presidency of Donald Trump is highly unlikely."
The senior lawmaker said the incumbent US administration has adopted a policy of opposing decent diplomatic arrangements among nations, and Iran, as part of international interactions, is faced with new circumstances.
Falahatpisheh had earlier underscored that diplomatic channels with the United States should not be closed because the US is not just about Trump.
He had also advised Iranian officials to refrain from exacerbating tensions with the US in different areas, saying that it seems the Americans are not willing to provoke further confrontations.
"Evidence shows that a new diplomatic atmosphere for détente with America has been created and there is an opportunity for Iran to pursue the diplomacy of negotiation and lobbying activities with anti-Trump groups in the United States," he said.
In the presser, Falahatpisheh also said US politicians do not take measures that do not yield tangible outcomes in the long run, therefore there is a possibility that they may revisit their sanctions against Iran in the future after the intended targets are not met.
In recent remarks on the occasion of the 1979 seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran, Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei raised the possibility of engagement with the US provided it desists from its pursuit of domination.
"When the United States puts its domination-seeking attitude aside, we can interact with it like other countries. However, it is unlikely to happen because a desire for domination is deeply ingrained in the world arrogant power," he stated.
