Rouhani Says Iran Ready for Talks If US Apologizes To the Iranian People, Returns to JCPOA

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would be prepared for talks with Washington in case the US returns to the nuclear deal [officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ‘JCPOA’], complies with the United Nations regulations, apologizes to the Iranian people, and makes up for the damages it has caused to Iran.

Addressing a cabinet session on Wednesday, Rouhani said the White House keeps talking about readiness for talks with Iran and advises Tehran not to wait for the result of the US presidential election.

“We are not awaiting anything,” Rouhani underlined, saying Tehran is always prepared for negotiations which provide that the US observes the UN law and regulations, returns to the 2015 nuclear deal, and declares that the White House and the Congress are determined to make up for their mistakes.

“This is not something that we say we will make a decision about later. Our decision is clear,” the president said, urging the US to abide by the law, apologize to Iran, and pay compensation for the damages it has caused to the Iranian nation.

“They [the Americans] created problems themselves. They were the ones who smashed the negotiating table and did injustice to the Iranian nation,” he said, adding that the US’ groundless talk of negotiations with Iran is a mere rhetoric ahead of the US election. 

Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected the idea of direct negotiations with the US, stressing that Washington must first resume honoring its commitments under the JCPOA and lift the sanctions on Tehran.

Relatively, Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei has ruled out the notion that settlement of Iran’s problems hinges on rapprochement with the US.

Negotiation with the US will by no means solve Iran’s woes as Washington’s main objective is to hinder Iran’s progress, American officials are liar and deceitful, and, moreover, the US itself is plagued with crises, Imam Khamenei stressed in 2016.