TEHRAN, Sept. 29 — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday here that Iran will never surrender to U.S. bullying regarding the nuclear issue.
He made the remarks at a cabinet meeting while highlighting the U.S. “irrational and bullying” behavior in response to Iran’s efforts to achieve a fair solution to the nuclear issue, according to a statement published on the website of his office.
Pezeshkian said Iran rejects and condemns the imposition of any restrictions and sanctions, emphasizing that Iran has stood ready to negotiate transparently and achieve a fair and reasonable solution.
The imperious approach that the other side adopted will never be accepted, he added. “We will continue the path of dignity proudly,” he said.
Pezeshkian said Iran had never sought to make nuclear weapons, citing a religious decree by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei which prohibits the development of atomic weapons.
“We have always expressed our readiness for rational and fair dialogue that is based on clear criteria, but we will never acquiesce to a negotiation that entangles us in new problems and issues,” he said.
In July 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
The United States, however, withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments.
On Sept. 19, the United Nations (UN) Security Council failed to adopt a resolution that would have extended sanctions relief for Iran under the JCPOA. A subsequent resolution, which sought to grant a six-month extension to both the JCPOA and Resolution 2231, also failed to pass in the Security Council on Friday. (Xinhua)
