Araghchi: Negotiating Sanction Relief Shouldn’t Happen Under Maximum Pressure
In recent statements, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned the sanctions against the Iranian people as cruel and a significant barrier to the nation’s economic growth. He emphasized the necessity of lifting these sanctions through negotiations rather than the current maximum pressure policies.
Addressing attendees at the Sixth Methanol Conference organized by Iran’s Zagros Petrochemical Company, Araghchi outlined two essential tasks regarding the sanctions:
- Lift the sanctions: This can be achieved through “negotiations and interaction with others.”
- Nullify the sanctions: This requires self-reliance and is considered a public duty.
“Lifting the sanctions requires negotiations, but not under the maximum pressure policy,” Araghchi stated. He emphasized that negotiations must not come from a position of weakness, as this would compromise their legitimacy, turning them into a form of surrender.
He assured that the Islamic Republic has consistently remained at the negotiating table and will continue to do so, despite the challenges posed by the current geopolitical climate. His comments came shortly after Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei labeled negotiations with the U.S. as “unwise” and “not honorable.”
These remarks were made in the context of U.S. President Donald Trump’s willingness to engage in talks with Iran, despite his recent actions to reinstate “maximum pressure” sanctions. This pressure followed the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.
Araghchi pointed out that the experience with the JCPOA demonstrated that the U.S. often fails to meet its obligations. He stated, “Iran will not allow that to happen again,” asserting that Iran is not interested in negotiating with a country that simultaneously imposes new sanctions while proposing talks.
