No Point in Talking With US

EghtesadOnline: Iran should not agree to engage in direct dialogue with the United States under the current circumstances, as there is no merit or purpose in doing so, two senior officials said.

News ID: ۷۴۷۱۹۷

30 April 2019

"Some people simplistically say that we should hold talks with America, but I believe there is no point in talking to them as they have set 12 conditions for Iran, including putting an end to uranium enrichment," Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday, ICANA reported.

In abandoning the international 2015 Iran nuclear deal, US President Donald Trump and his top aides have touted the reimposition of economic penalties on Iran as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign to force a change in a wide range of Iranian behavior.

Last May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that Tehran make sweeping changes—from dropping its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to changing its regional policies—or face severe economic sanctions, according to Financial Tribune.

Larijani said floating the idea of entering into negotiations with the United States is a "strategic mistake", because the time is not right to do so.

Iranian officials have so far rejected Trump's offer of talks, saying his words contradict his action of restoring sanctions on Tehran.

The top lawmaker added that Trump should be made to realize that the Islamic Republic never surrenders and that he should revise his approach.

"If we retreat, Trump will become more brazen. We are in a very special situation now and should act vigilantly," he said.

Larijani also said US unilateralism and its withdrawal from international agreements and organizations are regrettable.

Trump has expressed skepticism about the value of international organizations and agreements, and has ended America's participation in the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Paris climate agreement and several other treaties since rising to power.

Sign of Surrender

The commander of Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps also believes that agreeing to talks with Washington would be a sign of "capitulation".

"The enemy wants to force Iran to the negotiating table through economic pressure, but holding talks with the United States under the current circumstances would be a clear sign of surrender," Major General Qasem Soleimani told senior police commanders during a ceremony in Tehran on Monday, IRNA reported.

He said Iranian people are "wise" and "vigilant", such that they will choose to withstand foreign pressure rather than accepting humiliation.

The military commander noted that enemies have mobilized all their resources to undermine Iran's security in order to achieve their objectives.

Iran's economy has faced instability in recent months with the rial’s value spiraling down, making it difficult for ordinary people to make ends meet. The weak currency and galloping inflation have been the cause of sporadic street protests since late 2017.

Soleimani noted that the best way to get out of the current situation, resist US pressure and defeat the enemies is by following the guidelines set in the "resistance economy" policy.

Resistance economy—which is promoted by Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei—describes measures aimed at making the economy more self-sufficient and insulating it from sanctions and hostile foreign activity by supporting domestic products and weaning the economy off its reliance on oil revenues.