Mansouri-Bidakani told that Iran will not enter into direct talks with the United States if Washington does not want to hold talks on the same footing as Tehran.
He added that such negotiations would not be helpful and would seriously undermine Iran’s national interests.
Iran will never be open to negotiations with the United States under such circumstances, Mansouri-Bidakani said.
The Iranian legislator noted that the United States has made proposals for direct talks with Iran on several occasions since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 but has never proven that it wanted to negotiate in good faith.
The United States says it is ready to hold direct talks with Iran but at the same time points a gun at the Islamic Republic, imposes more sanctions, and cuts exports of pharmaceuticals to Iran in blatant violation of international law, Mansouri-Bidakani stated.
At the 49th annual Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 2, US Vice President Joe Biden said Washington was ready to hold direct talks with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.
However, he noted that “there will be continued pressure and isolation,” insisting that if Iran abandons “the illicit nuclear program and your support for terrorism, there will be meaningful incentives.”
In a strong response, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei dismissed the idea of talks with the United States under pressure and threats.
“I am not a diplomat. I am a revolutionary and speak frankly, honestly, and firmly. An offer of talks makes sense only when the side [that makes the offer] shows its goodwill,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with officials and commanders of the Iranian Air Force in Tehran on Thursday.
“You (the Americans) point the gun at Iran and say either negotiate or we pull the trigger! You should know that pressure and negotiations don’t go together and that the [Iranian] nation will not be intimidated by such things,” the Leader added.
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