Rouhani: Teheran will not yield to pressure for talks

DUBAI－Iran will never hold talks with the United States under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, adding that Teheran's help was essential in establishing security in the Middle East.

Relations between Teheran and Washington reached crisis point in 2018 after US President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 pact between Iran and world powers under which Teheran accepted curbs to its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Tensions spiked further following the killing of Iran's most prominent military commander Qassem Soleimani on Jan 3 by US drone attacks at Baghdad airport. In retaliation, Iran attacked US targets in Iraq in January.

Trump has adopted a policy of "maximum pressure" to force Teheran to negotiate a broader deal that further curbs Iran's nuclear work, ends its missile program 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," Rouhani said in a televised news conference.

Although the reimposed US sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, slashing its oil exports, Teheran has repeatedly dismissed talks over any new deal, saying they are possible only if the United States returns to the pact and lifts trade curbs.

"America's 'maximum pressure' toward Iran is doomed to failure…our enemy (the United States) is very well aware that their pressure is inefficient," Rouhani said.

Iran has been involved in decades of regional proxy wars with its key regional rival Saudi Arabia, from Syria to Iraq.

European and Arab states have since scrambled to avert a full-fledged conflict between the two sides.

"Securing peace and stability in the sensitive region of Middle East and in the Persian Gulf is impossible without Iran's help," Rouhani said.

"Several countries have delivered messages to us (from Saudi Arabia) … we don't have issues with Saudi Arabia that cannot be resolved," he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that Riyadh had contacted Iran after the killing of Soleimani, but when Iran responded the contact ended. He suggested the United States had pressured Riyadh.

Xinhua - Reuters