TEHRAN — A member of the parliament said on Saturday morning that Iran enjoys a strong position in the region and the larger world, and this has made the Westerners realize that they are facing a strong and powerful Iran.

In a short interview with Mehr, Nasrollah Pejmanfar stated, “During the past years, the rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran have been ignored by some Western countries. Therefore, we must learn from the bitter experiences of the past and not allow those events to be repeated.”

Negotiations are underway in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that was ditched by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Though negotiators have made significant progress, they are still at odds on certain key issues.

The negotiations are taking place between Iran and the five other remaining parties to the nuclear deal, namely Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain. The U.S. is participating in the talks indirectly as Iran refuses face-to-face talks with the U.S. until Washington returns to the agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The talks are coordinated by EU political director Enrique Mora.

He added that Iran does not accept the unfulfilled obligations of the Western countries and they must adhere to their obligations in the future while negotiating with the Iranian officials in Vienna.

On remarks by the U.S. State Department that some nuclear sanctions on Iran have been suspended, the MP said, “The Americans imagine that they can still use such tactics to bring the Islamic Republic of Iran to the (direct) negotiation table and gain concessions.”

Pejmanfar added that the Americans are facing serious challenges in their country and are looking for a way out of this situation. 

“They should know that Iran will not back down from its position in the negotiations in any way,” he reiterated.

The legislator added that if the sanctions imposed on Iran are completely lifted, Iran will continue its path in the negotiations.

“But if they want to suspend only a part of sanctions on our country, we will not react to their weak step,” Pejmanfar remarked.

Pejmanfar who represents Mashhad in the parliament pointed out that the Americans have not shown their goodwill to the Iranian delegation so far.

“U.S. officials should show us their goodwill in their proposals, and their proposals should be aimed at lifting all sanctions on Iran. The U.S. must prove to us that it wants to change the wrong way of its past,” he asserted.

Pejmanfar further noted that the Americans need the Vienna talks and an agreement more than Iran.

“Despite the fact that the sanctions have put a lot of pressure on our nation, but with perseverance and resistance we were able to circumvent the sanctions. The United States and the West cannot increase sanctions on Iran more than they do now, and they imposed all types of sanctions on Iran,” the legislator stated.

He concluded by noting that Iran was able to sell its oil, buy its basic goods under sanctions and the country's economy became dynamic.