Iran Reiterates Rejection of Talks with US

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi underlined that Tehran would never take part in one-sided negotiations under threats and excessive demands by Washington.

News ID: 71386

Date: 25 July 2018 - 18:42

TEHRAN (Defapress)-"Mr. Trump's administration should forget forever its dream of one-sided negotiations with proud Iran under the shadow of threats and excessive demands; they should stop their pursuit of their failed and old experiences," Qassemi said on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump signaled on Tuesday he was prepared to enter negotiations with Tehran, two days after he dramatically threatened the country in an all-caps tweet.

"The US should know more than any other time that the contemporary world and the current period is no time for hegemony, domination and one-sided views," he said, adding that Washington should understand its positions.

Qassemi underscored that "today like yesterday and the day before that, there is no trust in the US statesmen's words and behavior for talks, specially the American type" of talks.

Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani traded hostile warnings last week, amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Trump tweeted that Iran "will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before" if it threatened the US.

President Rouhani earlier warned his US counterpart against the unbearable costs and dire consequences of blocking Iran's oil exports, saying belligerency against Iran would the "mother of wars".

"The regional states are either afraid of the US or do not trust it. Anyone who understands politics a little bit would never say that he/she would prevent exports of Iran's oil. We have many Straits. The Strait of Hormuz is just one of them," President Rouhani said, addressing the Iranian ambassadors to foreign states in Tehran on Sunday, repeating his earlier tacit threat that Tehran would close off the Strait of Hormuz in response to any move by the US to zero its crude supplies.

He stressed that Iran has been the guarantor of security in the Strait of Hormuz all throughout the history, saying, "Mr. Trump! Do not twist the lion's tail because you will regret. You are not able to provoke the Iranian nation against Iran's security and interests."

"The Americans should come to realize this point well that peace with Iran would be the mother of all peaces and war with Iran would be the mother of all wars. We do not quiver from threats and we have a deterrent power. Today our internal unity is more than before, threats make us more coherent and we will definitely beat the US," Rouhani said, and added, "We would sustain costs, but will earn greater interests."

President Rouhani underscored that the new conditions created after the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal is an opportunity for relations with the world, exports and home-made production, saying, "Today, talks with the US has no other meaning but surrendering and putting an end to the Iranian nation's achievements. If we surrender to a liar bullying person like Trump, they will plunder Iran."

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