Iran’s President Says Ready To Restart Nuclear Negotiations, but Not Under ‘Pressure’

Iran is ready to hold more talks with the world powers in a bid to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal, but it will not negotiate under “pressure” from the West, the Islamic Republic’s new hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi said over the weekend. Iran will negotiate with the goal of ending US sanctions, Reuters first reported on Saturday. “The Westerners and the Americans are after talks together with pressure. … What kind of talks is that? I have already announced that we will have talks on our government’s agenda but not with … pressure,” Raisi told state television, according to the report. “We are seeking goal-oriented negotiations … so unjust sanctions on the Iranian people are lifted … and their lives can flourish,” he also said. Negotiations stopped ahead of Iran’s elections in June, after six rounds of talks between Iran and the world powers in Vienna, and have not yet been restarted.