Tehran: Iran has dismissed United States President Donald Trump's decision to reinstate the 'maximum pressure' campaign from his first administration, saying the failed hostile approach toward the Islamic Republic is doomed to fail again.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet session that the maximum pressure policy is a failed experience and trying it again will lead to another failure. Araghchi emphasized that if the pressure campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, such a goal is unnecessary, as Iran is already a committed member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He highlighted that Iran's positions on this matter are clear, referencing the fatwa of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei against the possession and use of nuclear weapons as further evidence that Tehran is not seeking them.
Trump, on Tuesday evening, signed an executive order to restore the 'maximum pressure' policy on Iran, which he initiated in 2018 after unilaterally pulling the U.S. out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office as he signed the order, shortly before a meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump claimed he had been hesitant about the move. Despite his tough rhetoric and actions against Iran, Trump stated that the United States wanted to make a deal with Iran, expressing hope for a potential arrangement or agreement.
In response to Trump's remarks, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani reiterated that Tehran's foreign policy is based on the three key principles of dignity, wisdom, and expediency. She told reporters that Iran's foreign policy has always been rooted in these fixed principles, emphasizing the dignity of the country and its people, wisdom and strategic foresight, and expediency. Mohajerani noted that all of Iran's foreign relations, including its dealings with other countries, adhere to these principles, although she did not specifically mention the United States.