Iran VP says US trying to force ‘surrender’ with tariffs: report

The vice president of Iran reiterated that Iran won’t negotiate with the United States, saying the U.S. is trying to make Iran “surrender” by reimposing sanctions on the country, according to the Fars News Agency.

“As most of the Iranian elites have stated, negotiations with the U.S. is not acceptable in the current period of time given the hostile and disrespectful policies of the U.S. administration against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said, according to Fars, during a meeting with university professors on Tuesday. 

“When the U.S. wants to negotiate with a party, they determine their main goals, and then they won’t retreat even a step away from these goals; they demand the other party to pay a privilege immediately; and if the other party refuses to comply with them, they start to make a fuss, so the other party would surrender,” Jahangiri added.

{mosads} This month President Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran that were lifted as part of a nuclear agreement with the country, including targeting transactions with U.S. dollar banknotes.

The Trump administration has said Iran can avoid the sanctions if it accepts tougher restrictions on its nuclear program. Trump has also said he’s willing to hold bilateral talks with Iran.

Trump had earlier this year withdrawn the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, breaking with European allies. On the campaign trail, Trump had called the accord struck between Iran, the U.S. and U.S. allies the “worst deal ever negotiated.”

The reimposition of sanctions against Iran came not long after Trump threatened the country.

After Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last month said that Americans “must understand that war with Iran is the mother of all wars and peace with Iran is the mother of all peace,” Trump sent a tweet telling Rouhani to “NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.”