Following the U.S. State Department’s announcement of another round of maximum pressure sanctions on Iran’s energy sector, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that “There will be no possibility of direct talks between us and the United States on the nuclear issue as long as the maximum pressure is applied in this way.”
He further added – during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who was visiting Tehran – that “Regarding the nuclear negotiations, the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is very clear. We will not negotiate under pressure, threat or sanctions.“
Araghchi also made clear, following his discussions with Lavrov in Tehran, that Iran intends to continue to cooperate and coordinate alongside Russia as well as China on the nuclear issue.