TEHRAN – During an interview with French media, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country will not be involved in any direct negotiations with the U.S., as long as President Donald Trump continues his so-called maximum pressure policy.

"We will not enter any direct negotiations with the U.S. so long as they continue their maximum pressure policy and their threats but it doesn't mean that regarding our nuclear program, we will not negotiate with other parties; we are talking with the three European countries, we are negotiating with Russia and China, other members of the JCPOA, and these talks can continue and I think we can reach a result from this path too,” he told AFP.  

On American and Israeli military threats against Iran, the foreign minister said if such threats materialize, a conflict would spread across the entire region. "I believe that if an attack on Iran were to take place, this attack could turn into a widespread fire in the region; not that we will do that. It is Israel's desire to involve the other countries in the region in a war. It is Israel's desire to draw America into a war. This is precisely an Israeli plan to drag America into war, and America is extremely vulnerable if it enters a war in the region. They themselves know this.”