Tehran:
Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday slammed what he described as bullying ways a day after US President Donald Trump threatened army motion towards Iran.
“Some bully governments — I actually do not know of any extra applicable time period for some international figures and leaders than the phrase bullying — insist on negotiations,” Khamenei advised officers after Trump threatened army motion if Iran refuses to have interaction in talks over its nuclear programme.
“Their negotiations should not geared toward fixing issues, they intention at domination,” Khamenei stated.
On Friday, Trump stated he had written to Iran’s supreme chief, urging new talks on the nation’s nuclear programme or face potential army motion if it refuses.
Khamenei stated on Saturday that bullying powers intention to say their very own expectations.
“They’re setting new expectations that they suppose will certainly not be met by Iran,” he stated, with out naming america or referring to Trump’s letter.
On Friday, International Minister Abbas Araghchi advised AFP in an interview that Tehran wouldn’t negotiate beneath “most strain”, though he didn’t instantly deal with Trump’s letter.
Trump reinstated his coverage from his first time period of most strain on Iran upon returning to the White Home in January.
Beneath this coverage, america in 2018 withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord formally often called the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA).
The JCPOA, set between Tehran and western powers in 2015, had supplied reduction from financial sanctions in alternate for limits on Iran’s nuclear actions.
Tehran has in current months engaged in diplomatic efforts with three European international locations — Britain, France and Germany — geared toward resolving points surrounding its nuclear ambitions.
Nonetheless on Saturday, Khamenei additionally slammed the three European international locations for “declaring that Iran has not fulfilled its nuclear commitments beneath the JCPOA”.
“You say that Iran has not fulfilled its commitments beneath the JCPOA. Okay, have you ever fulfilled your commitments beneath the JCPOA?” he responded.
Peaceable nature
Khamenei stated Tehran had abided by its commitments for a yr however there was “no different approach” however to roll again from these beneath the deal following laws by the nation’s parliament.
US officers now estimate that Iran may produce a nuclear weapon inside weeks if it selected to take action.
Tehran has constantly denied pursuing nuclear weapons, emphasising the peaceable nature of its nuclear programme.
Officers have all the time cited a non secular decree issued by Khamenei that prohibits the event of such weapons.
Final month, Khamenei reiterated his opposition to negotiations with america, calling this “unwise” simply days after Trump known as for a brand new nuclear deal.
Khamenei accused Washington of getting “ruined, violated, and tore up” the 2015 settlement.
In 2019, greater than a yr after Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, Japan’s then premier Shinzo Abe visited Iran in an try to mediate between Tehran and Washington.
However Khamenei firmly rejected the opportunity of talks with america, saying he didn’t “contemplate Trump as an individual worthy of exchanging messages with”.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)