Speaking to reporters during his weekly press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Nobakht rejected the possibility of any renegotiation of the nuclear deal with the US, following President Donald Trump’s recent decision to walk away from the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Nobakht poignantly added: "Prior (to the decision), Trump was willing to hold talks with us; however, with whom should we negotiate? Should we negotiate with people who dishonour and renege on official agreements approved by the UNSC? No, the Americans do not deserve to sit at the negotiating table with us."
The government spokesman further pointed to numerous US plots against Iran over the past 40 years and said since 2011, Washington has imposed massive sanctions against Tehran but it has failed to cripple the Islamic Republic’s economy.
In a public speech broadcast from the White House on 8 May, Donald Trump accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and seeking nukes before announcing America's withdrawal from the JCPOA, a 2015 agreement between Iran and the 5+1 Group (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the controversial decision, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will weigh all the options, and will only remain within the agreement (JCPOA) if the other five parties to the deal can ensure that Iran receives "full benefits".
Earlier, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, stressed that any decision to keep the deal going without the US should be conditional on receiving “practical guarantees” from the three European parties to the JCPOA.
