Iranian security chief says initiative to resume talks on nuclear program comes from US
Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Ali Shakhmani said that his country would engage in no talks with people who are "illogical in their approaches"
TASS, January 7. The United States has repeatedly asked Iran to resume talks on the Iranian nuclear program, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Ali Shakhmani said on Monday.
IRNA quoted Shakhmani as saying at an international conference on defense and security in West Asia that the United States’ allegations that the initiative to resume talks comes from Teheran are not true. He said that during his visit to Afghanistan the Americans twice approached him with an initiative to resume talks with Iran.
He also stressed that his country would engage in no talks with people who are "illogical in their approaches". The United States, in his words, has proved it cannot be trusted.
Deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament Ali Motahari said earlier that Iran cannot begin any talks with the United States as it would be humiliating for Teheran.
Situation around JCPOA
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as Iran nuclear deal, was signed between Iran and six international mediators (the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France) on July 14, 2015. On January 16, 2016, the parties to the deal announced beginning of its implementation. Under the deal, Iran undertakes to curb its nuclear activities and place them under total control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange of abandonment of the sanctions imposed previously by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States over its nuclear program.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s decision to withdraw from the deal, saying it leaves Iran a possibility to create a nuclear bomb bypassing all the restrictions. He warned the United States would reinstate its old anti-Iranian sanctions and would imposed new ones. The first round of sanctions covering Iran’s automotive sector and trade in gold and metals was re-imposed in early August. Further sanctions came into effect from November 5 and cover Iran’s oil exports and more than 700 banks, companies and individuals.
Other signatories to the JCPOA - Russia, China, France, Germany and the United Kingdom - have reiterated their commitment to the deal.