Dollar Reaches 90,000 Tomans; Araqchi: Why Should We Negotiate Again?

As reported by domestic media, the dollar has reached the 90,000 toman mark. Abbas Araqchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, criticized the 'request from American officials for negotiations,' claiming that 'there is no basis for fair dialogue and Iran cannot trust Washington.' Araqchi, speaking to reporters in response to a question about the possibility of renewed negotiations with the U.S., stated: 'We previously negotiated with them for over two years, agreed in good faith, and fulfilled our commitments. But what happened? It was the Americans who did not uphold their commitments and ultimately withdrew from the agreement.' Referring to U.S. government policies, he added: 'What has changed now that they expect us to trust them again and negotiate? The only new development is that they are seeking to increase pressure on Iran.' Araqchi emphasized that 'there is no expert basis for fair negotiations unless the Iranian people, through maximum resistance, disappoint the sanctions imposers as they have in the past.' One day after Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, opposed any negotiations with the United States, the value of Iran's national currency fell again against the U.S. dollar, with the dollar nearing the 90,000 toman mark. According to reports from some Iranian media, the price of each U.S. dollar in Tehran's market on Saturday, February 20, reached 89,200 tomans, and the dollar remittance price hit 90,000 tomans. A source in Tehran's market confirmed the dollar's rise above 90,000 tomans in conversations with the Persian section of Voice of America. Additionally, the price of each gold coin also increased by 5 million tomans, reaching 74 million and 380 thousand tomans. On Friday, February 19, Ali Khamenei claimed that 'negotiating with the U.S. does not solve the country's problems.' Previously, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, had stated: 'I would like to have a verified nuclear peace agreement with the Iranian government.' Khamenei claimed the 'fruitless experience of nearly two years of negotiations with the U.S. in the 1990s' without mentioning the continuation of the nuclear program or the adventurous policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.