US-Iran won't make deals as President Trump has suggested: Iranian spokesman
US-Iran won’t make deals as President Trump has suggested: Iranian spokesman
The US will not reach any deals with Iran if President Donald Trump continues his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Tuesday.
Rabiei’s remarks came in response to comments made by Trump on Monday that he would reach a deal with Iran “within four weeks” if re-elected in November.
“If Trump is serious about making up for past mistakes, we would welcome it, but his recent claim does not seem to have a purpose beyond winning votes,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Rabiei as saying.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated since Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.“Trump had four years to begin successful diplomacy with Iran … not only did he not do it, he made the worst mistakes America has made in decades,” Rabiei said.“Even if Trump is re-elected, he will not succeed in reaching an agreement as long as he continues to pursue a policy of pressure on Iran,” the government spokesman added.Tehran will continue its “maximum resistance” for as long as necessary, according to Rabiei.US efforts to extend arms embargo on Iran will failRabiei also said that US efforts to extend the UN Security Council arms embargo on Iran “will turn into another catastrophic and isolating failure.”Washington has been pushing to extend the arms embargo on Tehran before it expires in October. The US argues that a failure to extend the embargo on Iran would further destabilize the Middle East.The embargo is due to expire on October 18 under the 2015 nuclear deal.“Iran is ready to prove that it will not show the slightest leniency in providing a proportionate and decisive response to any provocative and illegal action,” Rabiei warned.Other Iranian officials have also warned against the extension of the embargo in recent weeks, saying it would have severe consequences for Washington and its allies.
