A meeting between China, Russia, and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue is taking place in Beijing on Friday, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.
Senior diplomats from Iran, Russia, and China gathered in Beijing on Friday for talks on Tehran’s nuclear issues, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported, days after Iran rejected US “orders” to resume talks over the Iranian nuclear program under Washington's threats.
In 2015, Iran reached a deal with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany and agreed to limit its peaceful nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. But in 2018, Donald Trump, a year into his first term at the White House, illegally and unilaterally pulled out of the pact.
Last week, Trump said he had sent a letter to the Iranian leadership suggesting talks with the Islamic Republic. But Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he would not negotiate with the US while being “threatened” and that Iran would not bow to US “orders” to talk.
In remarks on Wednesday evening, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei reacted to the statements made by US President Donald Trump about America’s readiness for negotiations and agreement with Iran, and the letter he sent to Iran.
The Leader characterized those actions as attempts to deceive global public opinion, stating that 'Iran is unwilling to negotiate and reach agreements, unlike us'. Yet, the very individual making these claims is the same person who tore up the outcomes of our previous negotiations with America. How can we negotiate with someone who we know will not honor their commitments?"
Referring to an article in a newspaper stating that "the lack of trust between two parties in a state of war should not hinder negotiations," the Leader remarked that this assertion is incorrect. He explained that if the negotiating parties do not have confidence in the loyalty and commitment of the other side to the outcomes of their dialogue, they will not engage in negotiations, as such discussions would be futile and pointless.
"From the very beginning, our objective in negotiations has been the removal of sanctions, which, fortunately, are gradually losing their impact as the process prolongs," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader underscored that some Americans also believe that the prolongation of sanctions will diminish their impact. "Moreover, the sanctioned country will find ways to circumvent these sanctions, and we too have discovered various methods to do so," he added.
In response to the United States' claims that they will prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the Leader stated, "If we had wanted to build nuclear weapons, the United States would not have been able to stop us. We neither possess nuclear weapons nor pursue them, as we do not desire such weapons for reasons we have already discussed."
