Iran denies any ‘possible’ talks with US

By Mustafa Melih Ahishali

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday dismissed the possibility of holding any talks with the United States.

“It is not possible to have talks with a U.S. administration that adopts hostile policies against Iran,” ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told a press conference in Tehran.

He said the administration of Donald Trump has proved it was untrustworthy.

With “Washington's hostile measures against Tehran and its efforts to put economic pressure on the country and impose sanctions, there will remain no possibility for talks,” he said.

In May, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal, which was signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany).

The 2015 deal places restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

During his electoral campaign in 2016, Trump had criticized the agreement, describing it as the “worst deal” he had ever seen.

Other members of the P5+1, however, say the deal in its current form represents the best means of reigning in Iran's nuclear program.