President Hassan Rouhani expressed anew that Iran is no longer interested to return to the negotiating table with the US after his counterpart, Pres. Donald J. Trump put into full effect the new sanctions it placed on the country's already struggling economy.
On Monday, a White House statement confirmed that the Trump administration is still open to engaging in dialogue with Tehran despite the re-imposition of the sanctions.
"As we continue applying maximum economic pressure on the Iranian regime, I remain open to reaching a more comprehensive deal that addresses the full range of the regime's malign activities, including its ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism," Trump's statement reads, as quoted in this report.
The new trade scuffle that Washington is dealing with Tehran right now comes in light of Trump's decision to back out from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May.
The deal, which is now popularly being referred to as the 2015 multinational nuclear weapons deal, calls for Iran to put a certain limit on its nuclear activities in the region while allowing international inspection agencies to take a look on its program.
In return, the United Nations, including the US, will lift sanctions which have been severely crippling Iran's economy.
As stated in a previous report, Washington thinks that the nuclear deal failed to consider other crucial issues like Iran's continuing efforts to develop non-nuclear ballistic weapons. Moreover, there were accounts saying that Tehran has continued conducting military exercises in the Persian Gulf.
Washington insists that Iran should wholly abandon its weapons program, both nuclear and non-nuclear - a term that Tehran may hardly agree with.
Rouhani meanwhile maintained that there won't be any talks happening not until the US retracts its decision in breaking the 2015 deal, a report from Reuters indicates.
For Rouhani, Trump's attempt to reach out is nothing but a sheer publicity stunt, especially that the November election in America is already nearing. The Islamic Republic leader further believes that Trump holds no genuine concern for what is really going on except to "create chaos in Iran."
This won't be the first time Trump's invite to talk was rejected.
Earlier this month, high-ranking Iran officials voiced their cynicism towards Trump's offer of talks, which they simply dismiss as worthless.
Rouhani previously branded Trump's actions on the 2015 deal illegal and very uncalled for.
