TEHRAN, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday stressed that the country will never negotiate with any party on its defense capabilities.
He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the capital Tehran while responding to a question whether Iran had been told during talks with three European powers -- France, Britain, and Germany -- in Geneva last week that its ballistic missile capabilities should be part of any potential future negotiations with the administration of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.
Baghaei stressed, "Iran has never and in no way negotiated with any party on its defense and military capabilities and will not do so in the future. Basically, I do not think Iranian people would let any individual or group acquiesce to such a transaction. Our position is quite clear on this issue."
In response to Europe's threats of activating the snap back mechanism, a clause in a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers allowing the latter to re-impose all international sanctions should the former fail to comply with the agreement, he said Iran had already made it clear that it would take proportionate countermeasures in case the other sides use the mechanism as a lever to pressure Tehran and extract concessions.
Baghaei said, "If the other parties misuse the mechanism, Iran will no longer consider it reasonable and justifiable to remain committed to certain relevant agreements."
Senior diplomats from Iran, the three European states and the European Union met in Geneva on Jan. 13 and 14 on a range of issues, including Tehran's nuclear program.
Commenting on the talks with the three European states in a post on X, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said the involved parties had agreed to restart discussions on lifting sanctions against Iran and addressing Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran signed the nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to limit its nuclear work in return for easing sanctions. The United States left the deal in May 2018 and put sanctions back in place, causing Tehran to reduce its own commitments.
Talks to bring the 2015 deal back to life began in Vienna in April 2021 but have made little progress despite many rounds of discussions. ■
