BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Iran doesn't view the US' readiness for discussion under its maximum pressure as discussion, Spokesperson of the Iranian Government Fatemeh Mohajerani told reporters on the sidelines of the Cabinet of Ministers' meeting in Tehran today, Trend reports.
In her view, Iran, a steadfast champion of dialogue, has always played its cards right by sticking to negotiations as a game plan. However, the other side of the coin, the US, seems to be applying the squeeze while waving the olive branch, which Iran finds utterly unacceptable.
"Iran is capable of negotiations and has always used them as a diplomatic tool. The world knows that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program was achieved through negotiations, and the party that withdrew from this agreement was the US.
It's not possible to declare maximum pressure against Iran with a smile and announce readiness for talks with Iran. Iran will base its actions on the other party's practical steps," she emphasized.
To note, on February 5, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating maximum pressure on Iran. The president stated that hopefully maximum pressure won't be used frequently. He also mentioned his readiness to engage in talks with the Iranian president.
Back in November 2018, the US rolled out a fresh set of sanctions on Iran, all tied up with its nuclear ambitions. Since that time, sanctions have cast a wide net over Iran's oil exports, along with more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals caught in the crossfire.
To recall, in January 2016, Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) implemented the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per the nuclear agreement.
Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.
Iran has officially affirmed that its strategy is not to pursue the development of an atomic bomb and that it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction.
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