Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has stressed that Iran is certainly not going to change its regional policies because of US sanctions and threats.

Iran Press- The US request for talks with Iran under the threat of sanctions is merely a publicity stunt, and Washington needs to remove the sanctions first, said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an interview with Qatar’s al-Jazeera TV on Monday, according to IRNA.

In early May,  Trump withdrew US from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with the Sextet (the five permanent members of the UNSC plus Germany) and reinstated sanctions against Tehran, despite the other signatory states' call for keeping the agreement in place.

“Iran will not change its policies in the region because of US sanctions and threats,” al-Jazeera quoted Zarif, who added that “Iran will never negotiate on its missile program because our missiles don’t threaten anybody."

Tehran will fully support Ankara in the face of US sanctions, he underlined referring to the economic war of US against Iran and Turkey.

The idea to form an anti-Iran Arab NATO is solely a useless delusion and a worn-out policy, said Zarif.

Saudi Arabia is leading a sinister policy in Yemen and the Western countries are accomplices in these crimes because of their silence and arms support, he added.

The leader of Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei received  thousands of people who eagerly rushed to meet him  yesterday morning .  

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that sanctions may play a role in creating the current economic situation, but that domestic factors are stronger role players on the matter by saying: Not that sanctions are not playing a role, but the main reasons lie in the measures taken within the country. If actions are taken more efficiently, more prudently, more swiftly and more firmly, sanctions cannot have much effect and they can be resisted.

Ayatollah Khamenei elaborated to the audience why Iran has decided not to negotiate with the United States and asserted: Why won’t we negotiate? The U.S. negotiations formula is this:

- Because the Americans rely on money and power, they consider negotiations as a commercial exchange.

- When the U.S. wants to negotiate with a party, they determine their main goals, and then they won’t retreat even a step away from these goals.

- They demand that the other party to pay a privilege immediately; and if the other party refuses to comply with them, they start to make a fuss, so the other party would surrender.

- The U.S. itself does not pay anything in exchange for what it takes from the other party. The U.S. only makes strong promises in order to enchant the other party with mere promises.

- In the final stage, after receiving all the immediate advantages, the U.S. breach their own promises.

He further added: This is the method of the American negotiations. Now should we negotiate with such a fraudulent government? The JCPOA was a clear example of this. Though, I was very exigent about it, the red lines weren’t actually respected.

Finally Ayatollah Khamenei banned any negotiations with the U.S., saying: The Islamic Republic can negotiate with the U.S. only when it reaches the power and sovereignty that would nullify U.S.’s pressures and domineering efforts; when those efforts have no effect on Iran. Today this is not the case. Thus, I will ban negotiations with the U.S. just as Imam [Khomeini] did.

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