Iran slams West’s use of pressure as leverage, warns of response to sanctions, interference

The Iranian foreign minister has warned the United States and its European allies against the use of pressure in talks on the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying Tehran will take reciprocal measures against sanctions and meddlesome actions.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remark in a post on his Twitter account late on Friday, after a phone conversation with the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the latest status of stalled negotiations on reviving the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Amir-Abdollahian censured as “wrong” a measure by the US administration and the three European signatories to the JCPOA — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — to use pressure as leverage in the sanctions-lifting negotiations.

Stressing that Iran is approaching the “final stage of a good, strong and durable agreement,” the top diplomat said the Islamic Republic will “respond to sanctions and interference.”

“Talked to @JosepBorrellF following his call. I said, if the US & the E3 think,via pressure, they generate leverage in the negotiations, they are wrong! We respond to sanctions & interference,” Amir-Abdollahian tweeted. “Concurrently, we are on the way to the final stage of a good, strong & durable agreement.”

The Islamic Republic has on occasions underlined its commitment to the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers but made it clear that Tehran will never negotiate under pressure and threats.

The nuclear deal was signed in 2015 between Tehran and the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China during Barack Obama's presidency.

However, Obama’s successor, Donald Trump, abandoned the JCPOA in May 2018 and slapped sanctions on Iran. The incumbent US President Joe Biden had vowed during his election campaign to resume talks to revive the deal and remove the harsh US sanctions. However, two years into his presidency, Biden has failed to keep his promise and is now threatening to take military action.   

Iran will not negotiate under 'pressure and threats': FM spokesman

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has reiterated the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran maintains that it is necessary for the other side to offer some guarantees that it will remain committed to any agreement that is reached.

The talks to salvage the agreement kicked off in the Austrian capital city of Vienna in April last year, with the intention of examining Washington’s seriousness in rejoining the deal and removing anti-Iran sanctions.                                                  

The talks remain stalled since August, as Washington continued to insist on its hard-nosed position of not removing all sanctions that were slapped on the Islamic Republic by the previous US administration.

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