Rohani and Zarif Express Distrust in Negotiating with the U.S.

One day after the reimplementation of U.S. sanctions, Iran's President and Foreign Minister separately criticized the "dishonesty" of the U.S. and expressed their lack of trust in negotiating with America. According to the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, Hassan Rouhani stated that the U.S. "is not committed to any of its obligations." Speaking during a meeting with the North Korean Foreign Minister in Tehran, Rouhani added: "The actions of the U.S. government over the years have made America recognized as an unreliable and untrustworthy country in the world, which does not adhere to any of its commitments." In recent weeks, following several comments from the U.S. President about the possibility of negotiations with Iran, the issue of renegotiating with the United States has become a key question for journalists addressing officials of the Islamic Republic. In response to this question, officials from Rouhani's government, including Rouhani himself, have repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. has shown itself to be "untrustworthy" by withdrawing from the JCPOA. Donald Trump, who has criticized the nuclear deal known as the JCPOA since his 2016 election campaign, officially withdrew from the agreement last May. The U.S. President then signed an order last Monday to reinstate the first phase of sanctions against Iran, which took effect on Tuesday. The next phase of sanctions, concerning oil sales, is expected to be implemented in November of this year. The U.S. Treasury Department has stated that the reinstatement of sanctions against Iran will be carried out in two phases. The second round of sanctions, which primarily targets Iran's oil industry, is scheduled to take effect on November 13. U.S. officials claim they are working to bring Iran's oil exports close to zero by that time. If the U.S. government can achieve this goal, Rouhani's government will face increased pressure domestically, pressure that has already constrained the economic sphere of this government for several months. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that Iran has not adhered to the spirit of the JCPOA due to its "destabilizing" actions in the Middle East, including missile activities and support for regional militia groups. The Islamic Republic, in contrast, has insisted that it has not violated this nuclear agreement, a claim that has also been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iranian officials have consistently stated that they do not consider the U.S. government to be "trustworthy," a point that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated again on Wednesday. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA, he said: "How can we trust that if, hypothetically, we negotiate a new agreement with the U.S., they will adhere to it?" The Iranian Foreign Minister further emphasized: "The Americans have never been honest." Earlier, Zarif had stated in an interview published by IRNA on Wednesday morning that any potential negotiation with the U.S. government has "requirements," but the issue is how confidently this negotiation can be pursued until a result is achieved. Zarif described the Europeans as "committed" to the JCPOA but raised a question: "We need to see if they are willing to pay the price for it or not?" He also mentioned that the European efforts to preserve the nuclear agreement "are not at the level we expected, but we believe they are moving in the right direction."