TEHRAN – Addressing the West, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested on Saturday that “dialogue must be based on mutual respect and not threat or pressure.”

The United States plus the European trio of Britain, Germany and France have made accusations that Iran has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia in its war with Ukraine. 
Though failing to provide any evidence to support their claims, they have cut air services agreements with Iran imposed sanctions on IranAir and some other steps.

“We have always sought dialogue and never left constructive negotiations to reach a common understanding on issues” that the West and Iran disagree on “but dialogue must be based on mutual respect and not three or pressure.”
The foreign minister added, “It is surprising that the Western countries still don’t know that sanctions is an outdated tool and they cannot impose their will on Iran through sanction.”

The United States under Donald Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed the “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran, suffering from the illusion that Iran will surrender. After adopting a strategic patience for a year, Iran gradually lifted limits on its nuclear program and now it is enriching uranium to the purity of 60 percent.
“It is a failed experience both on the nuclear issue and other issues. I am surprised that they still are pinning hope on this failed experience and act based on this,” said the chief diplomat who helped craft the nuclear deal in 2015.

He added, “Sanctions are tools of pressure and confrontation and not tools of cooperation and this is a tool that has ended in failure and actually lost its effectiveness.”