Iran reluctant to return to nuclear talks
Iran appears to be reluctant to return to negotiations over the 2015 nuclear agreement.
It is turning to Russia and China; getting around sanctions through smuggling networks; putting pressure on western countries, and lobbying for better conditions before it returns to the negotiations.
The current government in Iran follows what some people describe as a 'hard-line' approach.
Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, has expressed support for this approach.
"Some newspapers and websites ask us to solve our problems with the US and hear the voice of the people to end the unrest that began several weeks ago," he said.
"How can we solve our problems with the US? Will we solve them by sitting down, negotiating and getting a commitment from America? Negotiations will not solve our problem with the US because it persistently tries to extract concessions from Iran," the Iranian supreme leader added.
According to him, the US demands that Tehran abandon its nuclear programme, change its constitution, lock up its influence within its borders and close its defence industries.
"No Iranian can accept such conditions," Khamenei said firmly.
He made these remarks while receiving a delegation from Basij forces of the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran on the occasion of Basij Week.
Iran held the celebration, despite European and American sanctions on it because of the violations of Basij forces against demonstrators who rose up after the murder of a Kurdish woman.
Negotiations with the US, the Iranian supreme leader said, would not end the unrest Iran has been experiencing for two months now because Washington would always demand more.
"The problem is not about four troublemakers on the street, even if every troublemaker and every terrorist is punished," Khamenei said. "The battlefield is much wider because global arrogance is the main enemy."
Iranian authorities consider the protests to be just riots that are instigated by the US.
Tehran also continues to develop its ballistic missile capabilities, contrary to a UN Security Council resolution that approved the nuclear agreement.
The Iranian nuclear programme has also developed in violation of the agreement.
Iran announced recently that it has started producing 60% enriched uranium at Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, completely ignoring the nuclear agreement, in a move aimed at pressuring the West and the US to make concessions to Iran in nuclear negotiations if they resume.
