Iran has given every indication it is willing to engage in negotiations with Washington, but refuses to conduct discussions within the framework of the “maximum pressure” policy pursued during the presidency of Donald Trump.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has meanwhile spelled out categorically that although the lifting of sanctions requires negotiation, it cannot be carried out within a policy that means surrender. “Negotiation under ‘maximum pressure’ would not be a real negotiation,” he stated on Saturday.
The statement came a day after a warning by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who cautioned against negotiations with the US, describing such efforts as “reckless.” Khamenei, who has the last say on Iran’s strategic issues, referred to previous negotiations with Washington, notably the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement. The deal including the US alongside France, Germany, the UK, China and Russia was intended to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
But in 2018, he pulled America out of that deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran, defying European opposition to his move. Recently, Trump called for a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Iran, saying the country cannot be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Iran insists that its atomic program is for peaceful purposes only and denies seeking to build nuclear weapons.
Notwithstanding that, the Biden administration resurrected the “maximum pressure” policy and has just announced a new set of financial sanctions against entities and individuals accused of helping to facilitate significant amounts of Iranian crude oil into China. Araghchi reminded everyone that Iran’s position has not changed, and that “negotiations cannot occur with a country that is simultaneously putting on new sanctions.”
