TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry has forthrightly rejected its regard for any talks with Washington in response to a developing plan by the U.S. administration to initiate new nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

"This proposition by America is for sure shameful and ludicrous. It sounds like a joke that they should quit a multilateral international deal, which is backed by a UN resolution, and then look for further negotiations under new circumstances. I think nobody would even consider that,” Bahram Qassemi, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, told a press conference on Monday.

Qassemi made the remarks before new U.S. Secretary of States Mike Pompeo presented his plan B. Pompeo’s speech at the Heritage Foundation looked like a declaration of war. It was full of hostile language. He said Iran would not be allowed to enrich uranium, a right enshrined in the NPT which Iran is a signatory.

Qassemi said, “By unilaterally quitting the JCPOA, America demonstrated not only to us, but to all independent countries, to the EU, and all others that it cannot be a trustworthy partner. Before the JCPOA, America had already demonstrated disregard for international rules by violating some of its commitments.”

The Foreign Ministry’s response comes a few days before a meeting of the joint commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna to discuss the U.S. exit from the multilateral nuclear agreement.

The joint commission was set up by the six world powers (the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), Iran, and the European Union to handle any complaints about the nuclear deal’s implementation. The meeting, which will take place on Friday, however will miss the U.S. for its withdrawal from the deal.

“We will not have any negotiations with Europe beside the JCPOA. Our talks will pivot around the JCPOA. I think European leaders and politicians are very wise and well know what topics they will discuss with Iran, that topic being the JCPOA,” Qassemi explained.

He pointed out that in preliminary talks with Iran, European countries have said they will put in place mechanisms to ensure Iran’s interests in the JCPOA while the U.S. stays out.

However, the diplomat said, “Words are not enough. We do not need words. We surely look at and attach significance to what happens in practice.”

He added, “We believe that in Europe there is some serious determination to work with us and keep up the JCPOA without America.”

‘Those countries which entered Syria without Damascus permission must leave’

Elsewhere in the press conference, Qassemi commented on misinterpretations of a recent statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin who demanded foreign forces to leave Syria.

Qassemi said, “As long as there is the need, and there is the threat of terrorism there, and the Syrian government wishes so, Iran will continue its support for the Syrian government. Let me underline that this is the ones who entered the Syrian territory without the consent of its government who need to get out.”

Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad held a meeting in Syria in Sochi last week during which Putin said foreign forces will leave Syria after the Syrian army’s complete victory against the terrorist groups and the start of political process in the country.

While some media outlet interpreted Putin’s statement as an indirect reference to Iran, sources in Syria’s presidential office denied the media reports.

Quoting unnamed Russian officials, the sources told the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen newspaper on Sunday that Putin’s remarks did not include the Russian forces and Iranian advisors who are in Syria on the request of the legal government and they will leave the country whenever Damascus wants.

On the Iraqi election result, Qassemi said Iran is optimistic about future relations with the neighboring country.

“Iran’s relations with Iraq follows a specific framework under any government and circumstances… We respect the choice of the Iraqi people… We are looking for a powerful, stable, and advanced Iraq which establishes good ties with its neighbors,” he said.

SP/PA