President Rouhani Rejects Negotiations Based on Hollow Promises

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated that his country will not sit at a negotiating table with those who make false promises.

News ID: 444977

Date: 20 May 2019 - 08:39

RNA - "We are men of negotiations and logic, but the party that tries to drag us to the negotiating table has only empty claims. We are not going to accept such talks even if all the powers of the world stand back to back to support them," President Rouhani said in a meeting with the artists and figures from the art community on Saturday evening.

Rouhani added that Iran will never give in to bullying behavior, calling on the nation to keep their unity in the face of outside pressures.

Meanwhile, he said that the Iranian nation is wise and supports negotiations and is capable of holding talks as could be seen in the negotiations that resulted in signing the nuclear deal of 2015, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the major world powers.

The Iranian president referred to a UN Security Council session chaired by US President Donald Trump last September, saying that all the 14 members stood in support of Iran against the US.

He further urged the artists and the art community to help the nation keep their unity in the face of pressures by bringing happiness to them and giving them hope.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi said on last Saturday that Donald Trump and his administration are needed to shift policies and correct their approach to get rid of the present crisis.

He stressed the necessity for Washington to correct its policy and behavior to get out of the crisis and tensions that it has created, adding that the entire world has admitted that the White House policies, its withdrawal from the nuclear deal and reimposition of sanctions against Iran, are wrong.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi wrote on his twitter page on Friday night that the US pressures to make Tehran surrender are in vain, stressing the need for Washington to act upon undertakings based on the 2015 nuclear deal and resolution 2231.

"The message from the Iranian people is that we will not succumb to illegal and illegitimate pressures. These tactics have failed for 40 years," Mousavi said.

There is no place for bullies, young or old," he added, calling on Washington to honor it's obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UNSC Resolution 2231"instead of pursuing threats".

His remarks came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani deplored the US for imposing sanctions against his country which leave negative impacts on the ordinary people, describing them as "crime against humanity".

“The hard days and problems created by the US economic war have started,” President Rouhani said in Tehran on Wednesday, addressing a group of Iranian lawyers.

The Iranian president described the war as a “crime against humanity”, saying that sanctions have created troubles for the people’s livelihood and made it more difficult for them to access food and medication.

“This is not a war against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but a war against the Iranian nation,” he said.

Washington withdrew from the internationally-endorsed 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed the toughest-ever sanctions against the country and started a plan to zero down Tehran's oil sales.

Under the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers in July 2015, Tehran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.

In 2018, all the other signatories — Russia, China, Germany, France, the UK, and the EU — refused to follow the US example and confirmed their commitment to the accord, trying to save the deal with the Islamic Republic.

Iranian officials then warned that the European Union’s failure in providing the needed ground for Tehran to enjoy the economic benefits of the nuclear deal would exhaust the country's patience.

Yet, Iran continued compliance with deal, stressing that the remaining signatories to the agreement had to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they want Tehran to remain in compliance.

Europeans' honesty in dealing with the Iran nuclear deal has always been seriously doubted by Iranian masses that were discontent with talks with European states.

Almost a year later, however, the EU failed to provide Tehran with its promised merits. Then, the US state department announced that it had not extended two waivers, one that allowed Iran to store excess heavy water produced in the uranium enrichment process in Oman, and one that allowed Iran to swap enriched uranium for raw yellowcake with Russia.

Until now, Iran was allowed to ship low-enriched uranium produced at Natanz to Russia before it hit the 300-kg limit and the US measure leaves no way for Tehran other than exceeding the ceiling for storing the enriched uranium in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Also, the United States would no longer waive sanctions that allowed Iran to ship heavy water produced at its Arak facility beyond a 300-ton limit set in the 2015 nuclear deal to Oman for storage which again forces Tehran to store it inside country in violation of the nuclear deal.

In return, Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced in a statement on May 8 that the country had modified two of its undertakings under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in return for the US abrogation of the deal and other signatories inability to make up for the losses under the agreement, warning that modifications would continue if the world powers failed to take action in line with their promises.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran declares that at the current stage, it does not any more see itself committed to respecting the limitations on keeping enriched uranium and heavy water reserves," the statement said.

The statement gave the Group 4+1 (China, Russia, Britain and France plus Germany) "60 days to put into action their nuclear deal undertakings, specially in the banking and oil sectors, warning that "in case these countries fail to meet Iran's demands, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease implementation of restrictions on uranium enrichment levels and measures related to the modernization of Arak Heavy Water Reactor as well".

"Once our demands are met, we will resume implementation of the ceased undertakings. Otherwise, the Islamic Republic of Iran will stop compliance with its other undertakings in consequent phases," the SNSC warned.

It underlined Iran's readiness to continue its consultations with the countries which have remained in the nuclear deal at all levels "but will show a firm and rapid reaction to any irresponsible measure, including referring the issue to the UN Security Council or imposition of more sanctions".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran's president has in his letter to the leaders of the nuclear deal member states clearly reminded them of the Islamic Republic of Iran's type of reaction," the statement added.

It reminded the G4+1 of Iran's good will during the nuclear talks, implementation of the nuclear deal and  giving sufficient time to the other signatories to implement the deal, saying that it is now their turn to prove their good will and adopt serious and practical measures to protect the nuclear deal.

"The door of diplomacy will not remain open for a long time and the US and other members remaining under the nuclear deal are fully responsible for failure of the nuclear deal and any possible consequences," the statement said.

It underlined that the decision was made in line with defending the Iranian nation's security and national interests and materialization of Iran's rights stated in the paragraphs 26 and 36 of the nuclear deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a letter on May 8 informed the Group 4+1 on stopping implementation of a number of Tehran's undertakings stated in the 2015 nuclear deal.

Araqchi submitted the letter to the ambassadors of the G4+1 to Tehran after they were called to the foreign ministry.

The letter contained decisions by the SNSC to "halt implementation of a number of the Islamic Republic of Iran's undertakings under the nuclear deal".

Also, another letter was sent by Zarif to EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini on May 8 to inform her of details of Iran's measures.

Top EU diplomats said on May 9 they remained committed to the deal but would not bend to any ultimatums.

“We strongly urge Iran to continue to implement its commitments under the JCPOA in full as it has done until now and to refrain from any escalatory steps,” the officials noted in a statement.

"We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran’s compliance on the basis of Iran’s performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA and the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)," they added.

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