Iran will never hold talks with the United States under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, adding that Tehran’s help was essential in establishing security in the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted a policy of “maximum pressure” to force Tehran to negotiate a broader deal that further curbs Iran’s nuclear work, ends its missile programme and its involvement in regional proxy wars.
“Iran will never negotiate under pressure ... We will never yield to America’s pressure and we will not negotiate from a position of weakness,” Mr. Rouhani said in a televised news conference. Although the reimposed U.S. sanctions have crippled Iran’s economy, slashing its oil exports, Tehran has repeatedly dismissed talks over any new deal, saying they are possible only if the U.S. returns to the pact and lifts trade curbs.
“America’s ‘maximum pressure’ towards Iran is doomed to failure ... our enemy (the U.S.) is very well aware that their pressure is inefficient,” he said
Mr. Rouhani added: “Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran’s help.”