Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister

During a visit to Qatar on Tuesday, Araqchi once again ruled out the possibility of any negotiations with the US, stressing that Iran gives priority to talks with regional states.

Araqchi was meeting with Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the final leg of a tour of regional countries that earlier took him to Oman and Kuwait.

In the meeting, the Iranian official also touched on the US policy of exerting maximum pressure and waging an economic war on Iran, stressing that full security would be established in the region only if the national security of all regional states is fulfilled and their economic interests are secured.

"The Islamic Republic has always played its role in establishing regional security, but the US, the Zionist regime and the states accompanying them must take responsibility for the repercussions of their acts in the region," the Foreign Ministry’s website quoted him as saying.

"By establishing such mechanisms as the regional dialogue forum in the Persian Gulf and signing a non-aggression treaty, we can pave the way for confidence building and constructive interaction among regional states," Araqchi added.

The Qatari official, for his part, welcomed mutual talks and meetings between the officials of the two countries.

Al Thani also expressed concern over the critical situation in the region and called for the continuation of negotiations between Iran and Qatar.

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