Rouhani Blames US for Disrupting Process of Negotiations

TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined Tehran’s policy of negotiation with entire world, adding the US claims to be advocate of talks with Iran but Trump administration has destroyed bridges.

Addressing a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, President Rouhani referred to the latest summit of the Caspian Sea littoral states in Kazakhstan, and said Iran is negotiating with entire world, Tasnim  News Agency reported.

“In the latest visit to Kazakhstan, we had good negotiations with our neighboring countries and, at the same time, we are negotiating with Europe and elsewhere in Asia.”

 He also said that it was the Americans themselves who disrupted the process of negotiations, according to President official website.

Addressing Americans, Rouhani said, “If you wanted to pass through the bridge, why did you destroy it? If you wanted us to meet, why did you destroy the bridge? You yourself did it. If you want to prove it, you have to rebuild the bridge. Once you rebuild the bridge, meetings will automatically and naturally happen.”

As regards Talks in Kazakhstan, he said, “It’s been over 20 years that negotiations on Caspian Sea issues are running between its five littoral countries. We resolved a part of the issues and a part is still remaining. In some issues, the countries on the north part of the sea could reach an agreement.”

He added, “In the south side of the sea, there are still issues between Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. We had good agreements with Azerbaijan in this regard, some of which are being implemented, but a part of these issues has not been resolved yet.”

Stressing that as the result of the negotiations and agreements, we had great achievements in national security, Rouhani said, “The conspiracies of the Americans and even NATO was to be present in these waters and deploy their soldiers, frigates, helicopters and bases on the coasts of Caspian Sea. In this agreement, the five countries agreed to ban the presence of foreign vessels in Caspian Sea.”

Dialogue with Hostile US Not Acceptable

Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, on his part, rejected the possibility of any negotiation between the Islamic Republic and the US, saying that Washington is only following hostile policies against Tehran.

“The enemies are trying their hardest to wage psychological and media war in a bid to incite anxiety, worry and disappointment about the future of the country and the Establishment in public opinion,” Jahangiri said in a speech on Tuesday night, addressing to the US propaganda campaign against Iran. 

“The enemies have targeted the country’s social assets,” he said, adding that all patriots should prevent the social assets from suffering erosion through boosting unity in the country.

The first vice-president further slammed the never-ending hostility of the US government toward Iran and said the majority of the country’s elites agree that at the present time, negotiation with Washington is not acceptable given its hostile policies and disrespect for the Islamic Republic.

The remarks came as US President Donald Trump on August 6 signed an executive order reimposing many sanctions on Iran, three months after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.

He said the US policy is to levy “maximum economic pressure” on the country.

Trump also restated his opinion that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was a “horrible, one-sided deal”.

On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France, and Germany).

Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has underlined that any decision to keep the JCPOA running without the US should be conditional on “practical guarantees” from the Europeans.

 H.M