Iran has once again ruled out the possibility of engaging in direct negotiations with the United States, saying Washington’s continued use of pressure and threats was fundamentally incompatible with meaningful diplomacy.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks during a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, underscoring Tehran’s unwavering stance on the need for indirect, mediated dialogue in light of longstanding American violations of international norms.

“Direct negotiations are neither useful nor acceptable for Iran,” Baghaei stated, reiterating the Islamic Republic’s principled position.

“As long as the language of pressure and threat exists, direct negotiations will not take place,” he added, stressing that the US’s intimidatory policies had consistently undermined the spirit and letter of the international law.

The official warned that Washington’s simultaneous hostile rhetoric as well as illegal and unilateral sanctions vis-a-vis the Islamic Republic “pave the way for the destruction of international norms.”

He noted that the United Nations Charter explicitly prohibited the use of force in international relations.

‘Pressure and diplomacy cannot coexist’

“One cannot claim to be pursuing negotiations, while simultaneously continuing the policy of pressure, sanctions, and threats. This approach is in no way acceptable, and we have clearly stated our positions,” Baghaei reiterated

According to the spokesperson, the very reason indirect negotiations were currently taking place was because Iran deemed Washington’s coercive approach unacceptable.

Baghaei further emphasized that Tehran’s preference for indirect talks was not unprecedented. “Indirect negotiation is not an unconventional method. It has happened before and is based on previously proven experience,” he said, adding, “We must choose a method we are confident about its effectiveness.”

The remarks came after the Islamic Republic and the US held indirect talks in the Omani capital Muscat, with Oman’s foreign minister functioning as the mediator.

The Iranian official’s remarks echoed comments made earlier this month by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said that talks with the US “make no sense” as long as Washington refused to alter its approach.

‘Focus remains on lifting illegal sanctions’

On the topic of the recent Muscat talks, Baghaei explained that the round marked the beginning of a renewed negotiating process, during which parties outlined their respective frameworks.

“Our main issue is the removal of the oppressive sanctions,” he said. “This has been our serious and longstanding demand, which we have raised and will continue to pursue.”

The US lifted some of the sanctions as per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a historical 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Washington, however, returned the bans three years after conclusion of the deal, and even began piling up more coercive measures on the Islamic Republic.

Baghaei added that Iran’s nuclear policy remained transparent, highlighting the purely peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

The policy, however, has long been misrepresented by Western powers as a pretext for escalating tensions, the official underscored.

Regarding continuation of the indirect talks, Baghaei noted that Oman remained the mediator and was responsible for organizing the next round of the negotiations, which might be held in a location other than Muscat.

“We are in contact with Oman and will make and announce the final decision regarding the venue later,” he said.

‘Iran never an obstacle to economic cooperation; US deprives its own citizens’

Responding to speculation about American companies’ operating in Iran, Baghaei urged calm and accurate judgment.

“Iran has never been an obstacle to economic cooperation,” the spokesman asserted. “It is the US itself that, through complex legislation, has deprived its own citizens [of such opportunities].”

Baghaei confirmed that Iran continued to engage with the other signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal.

“From a legal standpoint, the JCPOA is a living and existing agreement,” he said, adding that Tehran remained committed to consultations within its framework.

He announced that Araghchi was scheduled to visit Russia later this week in a trip that was planned in advance, but would also include discussions related to US-Iran talks.

In parallel, Iran has continued its European consultations, including during a recent visit by senior diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi to Europe, the official stated.

‘Root of regional unrest: Continued occupation of Palestine’

Addressing the broader situation across the West Asia region, Baghaei pointed to the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as the root cause of regional instability.

“The unrest stems from the presence of an actor known as the Zionist regime and the continued occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories,” he said.

He condemned the regime as “the only entity recognized [across the world] as an apartheid system” occupying the territory of not just one, but two nations.

“This is the core issue that, unfortunately, Western parties are unwilling to acknowledge,” Baghaei concluded.