Iran Won't Make Concessions Under Pressure

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani (Mehr)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani (Mehr)
TT

Iran Won't Make Concessions Under Pressure

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani (Mehr)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani (Mehr)

Iran announced that it does not wish to negotiate with Western countries over its nuclear program or to make concessions "under any pressure or threat."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the US must be responsible and accountable for its actions regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Kanaani asserted that US officials know that "Iran is not ready to negotiate and give concessions under pressure and threats. (Reaching) an agreement has its logic, and Iran's stance towards the JCPOA talks is quite clear."

The official said the US pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018, while Iran remained committed to the deal and fulfilled its commitments under the agreement.

He said Iran is still interested in concluding JCPOA revival talks with the US, European powers, Russia, and China, adding that the other parties to the deal are as much interested in reviving the agreement as Iran.

The spokesman added that the agreement is available, and parties can conclude the negotiations and reach a deal in the shortest time: "We advise the European parties to the JCPOA not to surrender to the United States."

He denounced efforts to remove Iran from the UN's Women's Rights body, adding that Tehran became a member of the Women's Committee of the ECOSOC Group.

Kanaani stated that the US, along with some European governments, have obstructed the membership of Iran within a wholly illegal political framework by exerting pressure and using political influence on independent states.

Addressing the Iranian-Saudi negotiations, Kanaani reiterated his previous statements about reviving their diplomatic ties, asserting that Tehran is committed to the talks.

He indicated that Tehran is waiting for Riyadh to take "concrete action" on agreements reached in the five rounds of talks held in Iraq, adding that there is ground to implement previous agreements to take a new step towards completing negotiations and resuming relations.

Kanaani spoke about the Iraqi Prime Minister's recent visit to Tehran, saying that it was an important trip that included fruitful and valuable discussions in various fields, especially trade and economic cooperation.

Border security is essential, and Baghdad promised to implement its obligations, explained Kanaani, noting that the Iraqi government is planning to deploy central government forces on the borders, which could be a positive step towards consolidating security and stability.

He noted that the Iranian-Chinese relations were an excellent example of successful cooperation between the two countries in bilateral ties, indicating that sanctions limit traditional cooperation with some countries.

The official said US sanctions on Iran have made it difficult for Iranian and Chinese companies to boost their cooperation as part of a 25-year partnership deal signed between the two countries two years ago.

He said that Tehran and Beijing have continued to boost their bilateral ties despite the sanctions.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused the US of "seeking to cause chaos" in Iran, asserting that Tehran would not let anybody incite riots and terrorism.

Amir-Abdollahian spoke during a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic following their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia.

Speaking of his recent phone call with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated his country's stance on achieving a durable agreement that serves national interests.

"I talked with Mr. Borrell about the agreement to lift the sanctions, and I emphasized that only a deal that works well for the interests of the Iranian nation and is permanent is valuable to Iran," he said.



Türkiye Insists on Two States for Ethnically Divided Cyprus as the UN Looks to Restart Peace Talks

UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus Colin Stewart, center, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar talk as they attend the UN's end of year reception at Ledras Palace inside the UNbuffer zone in the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus Colin Stewart, center, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar talk as they attend the UN's end of year reception at Ledras Palace inside the UNbuffer zone in the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
TT

Türkiye Insists on Two States for Ethnically Divided Cyprus as the UN Looks to Restart Peace Talks

UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus Colin Stewart, center, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar talk as they attend the UN's end of year reception at Ledras Palace inside the UNbuffer zone in the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus Colin Stewart, center, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar talk as they attend the UN's end of year reception at Ledras Palace inside the UNbuffer zone in the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Türkiye on Wednesday again insisted on a two-state peace accord in ethnically divided Cyprus as the United Nations prepares to meet with all sides in early spring in hopes of restarting formal talks to resolve one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Cyprus “must continue on the path of a two-state solution” and that expending efforts on other arrangements ending Cyprus’ half-century divide would be “a waste of time.”
Fidan spoke to reporters after talks with Ersin Tatar, leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots whose declaration of independence in 1983 in Cyprus’ northern third is recognized only by Türkiye.
Cyprus’ ethnic division occurred in 1974 when Türkiye invaded in the wake of a coup, sponsored by the junta then ruling Greece, that aimed to unite the island in the eastern Mediterranean with the Greek state.
The most recent major push for a peace deal collapsed in 2017.
Since then, Türkiye has advocated for a two-state arrangement in which the numerically fewer Turkish Cypriots would never be the minority in any power-sharing arrangement.
But Greek Cypriots do not support a two-state deal that they see as formalizing the island’s partition and perpetuating what they see as a threat of a permanent Turkish military presence on the island.
Greek Cypriot officials have maintained that the 2017 talks collapsed primarily on Türkiye’s insistence on permanently keeping at least some of its estimated 35,000 troops currently in the island's breakaway north, and on enshrining military intervention rights in any new peace deal.
The UN the European Union and others have rejected a two-state deal for Cyprus, saying the only way forward is a federation agreement with Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot zones.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is preparing to host an informal meeting in Switzerland in March to hear what each side envisions for a peace deal. Last year, an envoy Guterres dispatched to Cyprus reportedly concluded that there's no common ground for a return to talks.
The island’s Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides says he’s ready to resume formal talks immediately but has ruled out any discussion on a two-state arrangement.
Tatar, leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots, said the meeting will bring together the two sides in Cyprus, the foreign ministers of “guarantor powers” Greece and Türkiye and a senior British official to chart “the next steps” regarding Cyprus’ future.
A peace deal would not only remove a source of instability in the eastern Mediterranean, but could also expedite the development of natural gas deposits inside Cyprus' offshore economic zone that Türkiye disputes.