Iran will not be swayed by the pressure and sanctions of Washington, said the chief diplomat of the Islamic Republic on Tuesday, following a meeting with his Russian counterpart, after Moscow held the first talks with the US a month after Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
During his one-day trip to Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed regional and bilateral issues, including state media reported, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi.
The visit took place a day after the United States imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, the country’s main source of income. Trump has resumed his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, which aims to reduce the country’s oil exports to zero, reviving the hardline policy he pursued during his first term.
“The Iranian position on the nuclear talks is clear: we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions” Aragchi said at a joint press conference with Lavrov, which was broadcast on television.
In 2018, during his last term, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and reimposed sanctions, crippling the country’s economy.
Since then, Tehran has defied the nuclear restrictions of the pact, while efforts to revive the agreement under the Biden administration have failed.
Lavrov said in Tehran that he was sure that diplomatic measures could still solve the problems related to Iran’s nuclear program.
Moscow and Tehran have annoyed the West by building closer defense ties since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. “Our cooperation will extend to various areas, including energy, trade, tourism and many other areas” Aragchi said.