TEHRAN - Hossein Dehghan, an advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said that U.S. President Donald Trump reneges on promises and cannot be trusted and Iran will not negotiate with him under any circumstances.

“He (Trump) is a businessman who just want to empty the people’s pockets and look at everybody with this viewpoint.” “Negotiation is not good or bad per se. However, it is very important for us who is the other side of the negotiation. We say respectfully that we do not see Trump worthy of negotiation, because we do not see him as a person who make a promise and fulfil it. He is a businessman who just want to empty the people’s pockets and look at everybody with this viewpoint,” Tasnim quoted him as saying on Sunday in an interview with CBS News.

He added, “Trump seeks to gain concessions in negotiations and we do not accept it. Negotiations should be held in equal situation and not with someone like Trump of course.”

He noted that Trump seeks “internal exploitation” for the 2020 presidential elections and not settling an issue with Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in interview with France 24 on Friday that Iranians never negotiate under duress.

“It will never work. Iranians never negotiate under duress. Intimidation is not acceptable. We will continue to rely on our own people in order to move forward and I’m sure we will,” Zarif said.

Iranians respond well to respect, but never to threats and intimidation, the chief diplomat noted.

He also said in July that Iran will not negotiate under pressure, suggesting that the United States must first stop “economic terrorism” against Iran if it seeks negotiations.

“Negotiation under pressure has never been possible. They must stop pressure and economic terrorism against Iran and after that they can talk about implementing the JCPOA [the 2015 nuclear deal],” Zarif told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

In an interview with NBC News published on Tuesday, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that the U.S. sanctions pressure against Iran are not for negotiation but intended to make Tehran surrender.

“The sanctions campaign is not for negotiation, it's for making us surrender,” Shamkhani said.

He added, “As long as this approach is taken by the United States, Iran will never ever seek negotiations.”

“We had a case of successful negotiations with the JCPOA [the 2015 nuclear deal]. How come the United States departed from it?” he said.

NA/PA