Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said on Thursday that sanctions and JCPOA – the Iran nuclear deal – cannot both be applied at the same time, the two do not go hand-in-hand. They are incompatible.

Araqchi made the remark addressing  the  Iran-Europe Cooperation Conference which is underway in Brussels, Belgium. 

Europe has to try to win the trust of the Iranian people because most of Iranians do not believe in them, Araqchi said. 

'The Iranians say the US exit from the JCPOA was merely a  game of "good cop , bad cop" , with the  European Union  playing  the role of  "good cop"  in this  game,' Araqchi  added. 

The second  Iran - Europe Cooperation Conference is focused on economic and technological growth, the development of the startup society, and internationalizing the science-based companies. 

The first  Conference was held in Vienna, Austria, three years ago.

Araqchi's remarks  came  after Ali Akbar Velayati, an international adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, ruled out the possibility of negotiations between Tehran and Washington and said engaging in

talks with the US is tantamount to surrender.

 

In a speech on Wednesday, Velayati deplored a recent letter signed by a number of Iranian reformist figures who demanded the country’s officials hold direct negotiations with the US to resolve the standoff over the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Those who are ingratiating themselves with Trump should know that if their expiration date comes, their own Green Cards and those of their children will be revoked by the United States,” he said.

“Negotiating with an individual who is not committed to any international agreements and does not even live up to pledges he has made to his allies would mean surrendering to the United States,” Velayati added.

Political activists who earlier signed the letter addressed to high-ranking Tehran officials on Sunday, warned against what they called the loss of an important opportunity.

The letter said that the talks could protect Iran's national interests and solve some of its problems.

Signatories included former Tehran mayor and leader of reformist faction the Construction Party, Gholamhossein Karbaschi, and former spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Hamid Assefi.

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement.

Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.