Iranian officials double down on demand Trump must rejoin nuclear deal before talks

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian officials react skeptically on Tuesday to US President Donald Trump’s comments that he’s willing to negotiate with his Iranian counterpart, saying instead that if Trump wants talks, he needs to rejoin the international nuclear deal he unilaterally pulled out of earlier this year.

Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the head of influential parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, suggests a US return to the nuclear deal, which would bring an end to the economic uncertainty, would be needed before Tehran could think of negotiating.

“There can be no negotiations with the Americans raising the issue of talks from the position of power,” he is quoted as saying on the website of the Iranian parliament, calling Trump’s decision to pull out of the nuclear deal the “biggest blow to diplomacy.”

Reformist lawmaker Mostafa Kavakebian questions negotiating with Trump, calling him “untrustworthy,” and also said now was not the time for talks.

“If this negotiation (is) carried out in any form, then it will be considered as surrender and the Iranian nation will not surrender,” he says.

— AP