Iran is ready to begin negotiations with the US for the end of sanctions, but not under the “maximum pressure” policy of President Donald Trump, Tehran's Foreign Minister suggested.
Speaking during a conference attended by senior officials and members of parliament, Abbas Araghchi described US sanctions on Iran as “cruel”, blaming them for blocking economic development.
“Lifting the sanctions requires negotiations, but not under the maximum pressure policy,” Mr Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media. “Negotiation cannot be carried out from a weak stance, as it will no longer be considered negotiation, but will be a kind of surrender. We never go to the negotiating table this way.”
On February 5, Mr Trump signed a memorandum committing the US to pursue the policy of maximum pressure against Iran, which he first established during his first term in office and that included economic sanctions. The memorandum said the policy was aimed at pushing Iranian oil exports to zero.
The US President's previous campaign slashed Iran’s oil exports from nearly three million barrels a day in 2017 to about 400,000 in 2019, and followed his cancellation of the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal with six world powers which eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for UN inspections to curb the nuclear programme.
Mr Araghchi's comments came after Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on the government to not negotiate with the US, calling such an approach “reckless” in light of Mr Trump's Tehran policy. Ultimately, Mr Khamenei has the final say on all strategic decisions.
Mr Araghchi said that negotiations should be held cautiously, adding that Tehran had never left the negotiating table.
After reinstating the policy, Mr Trump called for a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Tehran and said work on a new deal should begin “immediately”.
Iran has repeatedly stated its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only and denied it is seeking to build weapons.