Iranian President Responds to Pompeo’s Offer of Talks

June 3, 2019 (EIRNS)—Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded directly to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s June 2 announcement in Switzerland that the U.S. is prepared to talk to Iran without preconditions. Rouhani made clear that Iran is not prepared to talk to the U.S. unless the U.S. changes its behavior, specifically, with regard to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed by Iran, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

“The party who left the negotiating table and upended an agreement must come back to normal conditions,” Rouhani said on June 2, during a speech in Tehran, the official PressTV quoted him as saying. Otherwise, he stated, Iran is left with no choice but to show resistance. “I declare as the representative of the Iranian nation that in this period, and for as long as the enemy does not regret its measures in the past, we have no way but to show resistance.” Rouhani said, however, that “if the enemy truly realizes it has taken a wrong and incorrect approach, then we can sit at the negotiating table and solve any issues.”

Nonetheless, there are multiple indirect contacts taking place between Washington and Tehran, and something may emerge soon.