US President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that talks with Iran were “imminent”, but Iranian foreign minister has warned that “PR stunts won’t work.”
“I have a feeling they’ll be talking to us pretty soon,” Trump told a rally in Tampa, Florida, before adding: “And maybe not, and that’s OK too.”
He also used the occasion to again blast the “horrible, one-sided” 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers from which the American president withdrew.
“It’s a horror show,” Trump said.
“I hope it works out well with Iran. They are having a lot of difficulty right now.”
The US is set to start reimposing full sanctions on Iran from August.
Several Iranian public figures said it was impossible to imagine negotiations with Washington after it tore up the nuclear deal in May.
“Iran & US had 2 yrs of talks. With EU/E3+Russia+China, we produced a unique multilateral accord — the JCPOA (nuclear deal). It’s been working. US can only blame itself for pulling out & leaving the table,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.
“Threats, sanctions & PR stunts won’t work. Try respect: for Iranians & for (international) commitments,” he said.
Ali Motahari, deputy speaker of parliament, also weighed in.
“With the contemptuous statements (Trump) addressed to Iran, the idea of negotiating is inconceivable. It would be a humiliation,” Motahari said, according to the conservative Fars News.
Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said: “America is not trustworthy. After it arrogantly and unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement, how can it be trusted?”
Source: AFP
