Tehran rejects Macron’s call for wider talks beyond nuclear deal – state TV

French President Emanuel Macron with U.S. President Donald Trump/ Image: The Independent

Tehran rejected French President Macron’s calls for wider international talks over its nuclear and military ambitions, Friday, state media IRNA reported, it would only discuss its existing 2015 atomic pact with world powers.

Macron had said a day earlier that France and the United States both wanted to stop Iran getting nuclear arms and a new round of talks should focus on restricting its ballistic missiles programme and on other issues.

But Abbas Mousavi, Iran’s Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson, said it would not hold any discussions beyond the atomic pact of 2015 which President Trump abandoned last year as he pushed for robust restrictions.

The Iranian spokesperson pointed “Under these circumstances, talking about issues beyond the nuclear deal … will lead to further mistrust among the remaining signatories of the deal”.

Washington has pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal – under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear work in exchange for sanctions easement saying it was not permanent and did not do enough to control Tehran’s missiles and regional influence.

Paris and other European signatories to the deal have said they wanted to save it, but many of their companies have withdrawn deals with Iran, under financial pressure from Washington.

Spokesperson Mousavi added in his statement, “The Europeans have so far failed to fulfil their commitments under the agreement and … to protect Tehran’s interests after America’s illegal withdrawal.”

President Trump said on Thursday that Iran was failing as a nation, under the pressure of imposed sanctions, and repeated his call for talks with the leadership in Tehran.

Mousavi dismissed Trump’s comments as “repetitive, groundless and paradoxical” and said they did not merit a response.

Iran’s top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also dismissed Trump’s call for any negotiations.

However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has indicated Iran’s readiness to hold talks if Washington showed its respect and returned to the nuclear deal.

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Md. Faiz Ansari

Md. Faiz Ansari is an Associate Editor at The Kootneeti. He can be reached at mdfaiz@thekootneeti.in

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