Iran ready, if Riyadh ready for talks: Zarif

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 31 July 2019 / 17:20

Tehran (ISNA) – Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif said if Riyadh is ready for talks, Tehran is ready too.

On the sidelines of Wednesday's cabinet meeting, Zarif said, "We have always expressed our interest in communication with neighboring states. But it's only possible when they give up interference in domestic affairs of other countries".

"If Saudi Arabia is ready for talks, we are ready as well. We have never closed the door of negotiation with our neighbors and won't do so," Zarif added.

Mentioning a demand by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to have an interview with Iranian media, the Iranian top diplomat said, "If US officials want to speak to Iranian people, they can answer the previous calls for interview".

"When I travel to US, I actually travel to United Nations. During the visits, some media outlets ask for interview and we answer them due to our respect toward American people. Our argument is with US administration's policies, not US nation".

"Pompeo has begun an advertisement policy. Now he wants to say 'we can't talk to Iranian people' which is a heinous tactic because they have had the opportunity to talk to Iranian people but they didn't use it".

Zarif said Americans have targeted "Iranian nation" and their economic war is not against Iran's government.

Speaking about the recent extraordinary meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the top diplomat said, "The meeting was challenging. We expressed our expectations and insisted on the need of fulfilling commitments by European sides".

US shouldn't determine a procedure for Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX)'s function, he said, "It's a mechanism for Europe to implement its commitments and shouldn't work in line with US agreement. Our third phase (of reducing nuclear commitments) will be implemented, if Europeans don't meet their obligations".

"We have said that US should implement its commitments, give up economic terrorism and pressuring to stop Iran's oil export. We are never against negotiation and we continue to hold talks with Macron, European sides of JCPOA and 1+4".

Speaking on possible talks with US, he said, "We have never left the negotiation table and it was US who left the talks violating its commitments".

Zarif said the trip to the United Nations General Assembly is on the agenda but it is yet to be finalized.

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