Iran may hold talks if shown respect, international rules followed, says Rouhani
President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday suggested that
Iran may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed respect and
followed international rules, but Tehran would not be pressured into
negotiations, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Tehran has repeatedly denounced Washington’s
withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers as a breach of
international regulations and rejected US sanctions as efforts to bully the
Islamic Republic into agreeing to talks toward a new accord.
“We are for logic and talks if (the other side) sits
respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations,
not if it issues an order to negotiate,” Rouhani said, according to Fars.
On Friday, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation
Council called on Iran to reconsider its role in the region, the
Secretary-General of the Arab League told reporters following the conclusion of
two emergency summits held in Mecca.
“The emergency Arab League Summit in Mecca called on
Iran to reconsider its role in the region,” Secretary-General of the Arab
League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.
