FM spox: Iran will not negotiate on own defense capabilities
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei underlined that Iran will not negotiate about its defense capabilities in talks with Western countries.
During his weekly press conference on Monday, Baqaei said the Iranian nation will not allow any negotiation or dialogue to take place about the means that are necessary “to defend Iran’s sovereignty, dignity, independence, and security.”
Iran and the three European parties to the Iran 2015 nuclear deal have held several rounds of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. However, a recent decision by the three countries – France, Germany, UK – to trigger the so-called snapback mechanism under the UN Resolution 2231, which endorses the 2015 nuclear deal, has hindered progress in talks.
The European countries are raising excessive demands, including limits on Iran’s missile powers, to resolve their dispute with Tehran – an issue that the Islamic Republic has repeatedly rejected.
Regarding the consequences of the possible return of the Security Council sanctions, Baqaei said the foreign ministry is obliged to use diplomatic tools to prevent incidents that are not in the national interest.
Araghchi’s meeting with Kallas ‘productive’
Iranian officials are in contact with the European officials to find a way out of an impasse in the talks between the two sides.
In the latest talks between Iranian and European officials, Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi held a meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas in the Qatari capital of Doha on Thursday.
Baqaei described the meeting as “productive,” saying that a range of points and ideas were put forward during their discussions.
He noted that during the talks, points and ideas were raised between the two sides, expressing hope that in future contacts “the Europeans will reconsider their methods by correctly understanding the consequences and effects of the confrontational approach.”
He added that Iran uses every opportunity “to advance the country’s interests, express our demands, and warn against the consequences of the three European countries abusing the mechanism known as the return of repealed Security Council resolutions.”