Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee stressed the necessity for the US to remove all sanctions against Iran before his country will decide about talks with Washington. reiterating that even then any such negotiations will be limited to the framework of the nuclear deal and may not include Iran`s missile or regional power.
`They (the Americans) should return to the conditions before the US withdrawal (from the nuclear deal) and remove sanctions and then we will make our decision. Our framework (for talks) is the nuclear deal and we have no preconditions.` Rabiyee said on Tuesday.
He underlined that any talks with Washington will be held within the framework of the nuclear deal. and said. `We will not negotiate regional and missile issues with the US.`
Rabiyee said Iran believes that the foreign forces should leave the region and regional security should be established through talks among the regional states.
He also referred to the results of the G7 meeting in France. and said that they called on Iran not to produce nuclear weapons which is ridiculous because building. keeping and using such weapons have been forbidden by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a fatwa (religious decree) and is strongly binding on the Iranian officials.
His remarks came hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed any possibility for a meeting between President Hassan Rouhani and his US counterpart Donald Trump.
`I said during the visit to Biarritz that no meeting between the Iranian president and Trump could be imagined. We will not have any bilateral talks until the US joins the G5+1 and implements the nuclear deal. even then there won`t be any bilateral talks (with the Americans).` Zarif said on Tuesday.
He referred to the remarks by the French and US officials about the possibility for a meeting between Rouhani and Trump. and said. `What they have said in this regard is related to them. but I have told them in my visit to Biarritz that there won`t be any meeting with the US officials.`
`No meeting will be held with the American officials.` Zarif reiterated.
`We have made it fully clear that the US administration and Trump have violated the agreements which had come after long-time talks between the two countries. and implementation of the past agreements is necessary now and we have not yet seen any considerable sign in this regard on the side of the US administration.` Zarif said.
He also said that during the trip to Biarritz. he and the European officials discussed the moves that need to be made by the Europeans to keep the nuclear deal alive. and regretted that the Europeans need permission from the US to go ahead with their moves in this regard.
His comments came a day after President Rouhani said Iran had kept the road to diplomacy open to resolve the differences with the West. but meantime. reiterated that national resistance was still top on his agenda.
`We resist against sanctions. and meantime we take reciprocal moves as well. yet we also see an opportunity for negotiations and diplomacy too and leave open the path for resolving problems by 2-month intervals between the phases of modifying our (nuclear deal) undertakings.` Rouhani said on Monday.
`We will resist and stand to attain goals. security and greatness.` he added.
`We also negotiate to resolve the problems beside this resistance and standing.` Rouhani underscored.
Rouhani`s emphasis on resistance and Tehran`s insistence on an honorable practice of foreign policy came a day after Zarif flew to the French seaside resort of Biarritz that hosts the G-7 summit meeting in an unannounced trip ahead of his Southeast Asian tour on Sunday.
`At the invitation of French Foreign Minister [Jean-Yves] Le Drian. Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif. our country`s foreign minister. arrived in Biarritz that hosts the G-7 summit meeting to continue consultations on the recent initiatives between the Iranian and French presidents.` Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
`There won`t be any meeting or negotiations with the US delegation during this visit.` he reiterated.
An Elysee palace official confirmed the Iranian spokesman`s statement that Zarif was not to take part in any meeting with US officials in Biarritz.