Iran will not yield to U.S. ‘pressure and sanctions’ on nuclear dispute

Reuters. Iran will not succumb to pressure and sanctions imposed by Washington, the Islamic Republic’s top diplomat said on Tuesday (February 25) after meeting his Russian counterpart, days after Moscow held initial talks with the U.S. just a month after Donald Trump returned to the White House.

 

During his one-day trip to Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed regional and bilateral topics with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, state media reported.

 

The visit comes a day after the United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry, the Islamic Republic’s main source of income.

 

Trump earlier this month restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive the country’s oil exports to zero, reimposing a tough policy on Iran that was practiced throughout his first term.

 

“We will not negotiate under pressure, threats, or sanctions,” Araqchi said during a televised joint press conference with Lavrov.

 

While Trump had said he would “love to make a deal” with Iran’s clerical rulers, Iran’s utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said this month that talks with the United States were “not smart, wise, or honourable”.

 

However, he stopped short of renewing a ban on direct talks with Washington decreed during the first Trump administration.