MPs Rule Out Any Nuclear Deal that Does Not Guarantee Iran’s Rights, Interests

In a public session of Iran’s parliament, Ahmad Naderi, a member of the parliamentary presidium, read the statement underscoring skepticism over ongoing indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, which have been brokered by Oman.

The lawmakers said Iran’s decision to engage in negotiations through intermediaries is an opportunity extended to the US despite its "history of betrayal."

“The Islamic Republic’s principled approach in accepting indirect negotiations with representatives of the United States, through the mediation of Oman, was a renewed opportunity given to the untrustworthy US to act on its intentions before the eyes of the world (with transparency),” the statement read.

The lawmakers reminded the US of a legacy of “treachery,” citing historical grievances including support for a coup d'etat in Iran, military actions such as the failed Tabas raid, and the downing of Iran Air Flight 655.

“America’s very existence is rooted in the betrayal seen in the massacre of Native Americans and indigenous peoples, racial discrimination against Black communities, and the imposition of oppressive relations on other nations across the world,” the statement said.

“From 1889 until the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Iran-US relations were marked by excessive demands, interference, coups, and the violation of the rights of the great Iranian nation,” the statement said.

It also pointed to Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) and enforcement of “illegal and cruel sanctions.”

“From the failure to supply fuel for the Tehran nuclear reactor in violation of the 1957 agreement, to the military raid in Tabas, the Algiers Accords, the downing of Iran’s passenger plane, the pressure on countries to enforce illegal and oppressive sanctions against the Iranian people, and finally the US withdrawal from the JCPOA—all have shown the world that America is committed to no agreement or treaty.”

The lawmakers praised Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei for enabling renewed talks, and emphasized the parliament’s watchfulness over the negotiations. The statement condemned recent US congressional rhetoric, equating some US lawmakers' behavior to that of Israel’s Knesset.

“The offensive remarks made by the US President and certain other American officials compel us to clarify several points for the awareness of our dear people and global public opinion,” the statement said, while issuing five key declarations:

1- Mr. Trump should be aware that the main reason for his defeat in the second round of the US presidential election (2020) was his arrogant and misguided foreign policy. He has now trapped himself in a web of self-inflicted foreign policy crises—from Canada to Yemen, from Gaza to the Korean Peninsula and China, and even at the heart of Europe. There is no way out of these challenges without correcting his flawed policies. From the faint prospect created in the negotiations, you can either reach a fair agreement or lose your last chance with offensive remarks—revealing your inability to govern not four years later, but within these very first months.

2- Be assured that the Islamic Republic will not accept anything less than a fair agreement on peaceful nuclear activities—one that secures Iran’s full rights and interests under Article IV of the NPT and Articles III and XI of the IAEA Statute, and includes the lifting of the United States’ unilateral, extraterritorial, and unlawful sanctions. In this regard, the Strategic Action Plan passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) will serve as the guiding framework for Iranian negotiators.

3- We warn the Zionist Secretary of State of the US and certain arrogant and greedy members of Congress to stop repeating the cat-and-mouse game and hypocritical approach between Congress and the US administration (that happened) during the JCPOA negotiations. They should not define the role of good cop and bad cop for America; raising issues that have no place in the negotiations is merely testing the already failed tactics whose results are well known.

4- Iran’s defense and deterrence capabilities will continue with strength and integrity, ensuring that vultures and hyenas will not dare to threaten the national security of the Iranian people.

5- The declared positions of US officials and their recent sanctions, especially in the energy sector, are in direct contradiction with the stated intentions and will of the US administration during the ongoing indirect negotiations. Americans must understand that the Persian Gulf supplies over 60% of the world’s oil and energy needs, and both energy exporters and consumers worldwide must be guaranteed security.

Any disruption or insecurity caused to Iran’s oil exports, as well as to its energy buyers, will damage the security of those who instigate such insecurity, the statement concluded.