Iran ready to negotiate with US but not under Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’

Al Jazeera-Feb9th2025

Iran has said it is ready to negotiate with the United States but not under the “maximum pressure” strategy by Donald Trump.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on Saturday that “the lifting of sanctions requires negotiations, but not within the framework of a ‘maximum pressure’ policy, because it would not be a negotiation but a form of surrender”.

Araghchi’s statement came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the government not to negotiate with the US, calling such an approach “reckless”.

Khamenei, who has the final say on all strategic decisions in Iran, referred to Iran’s previous experience negotiating with Washington. In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the US, France, Germany, United Kingdom, China and Russia to regulate its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international sanctions.

However, during his first term in 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the agreement and reinstated heavy sanctions on Tehran, despite European opposition.