Iran willing to negotiate with US if behavior 'must change,' official says

Iran is open to negotiations with the United States, but only if American sincerity can be demonstrated, according to Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee. In an interview with CNN, Azizi stated that Iran would have "no problem" pursuing a deal with the US, provided negotiators and President Donald Trump prove their honesty.

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If we could be convinced that there is sincerity from the Americans, especially from the president of the US, and if we could reach confidence that they are people of negotiation and that they also submit to the rules of negotiation, then the Islamic Republic would have no problem with negotiating.

Azizi expressed skepticism about Trump's claims of an imminent deal, stating, "we don't think he's honest." He emphasized that Iran views negotiation as a "continuation of the battlefield" and requires confidence in American intentions and adherence to negotiation rules before proceeding. "If we could be convinced that there is sincerity from the Americans, especially from the president of the US, and if we could reach confidence that they are people of negotiation and that they also submit to the rules of negotiation, then the Islamic Republic would have no problem with negotiating," he said.

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we don’t think he’s honest.

A major obstacle to negotiations, according to Azizi, is the implementation of a realistic framework, which he claims the US is blocking by freezing Iranian assets. He asserted that the US had initially agreed to release these frozen overseas assets during prior discussions. However, Iran remains firm on its positions regarding enriched uranium and nuclear weapons.

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We have said many times that we accept a negotiation as a continuation of the battlefield.

Azizi concluded that the prospect of a peace agreement hinges on US behavior. "If these same behaviors continue," he warned, "then no, we do not have any trust at all, and with this lack of trust, it's not possible for negotiations to continue." He added that if Iran's conditions are met, particularly concerning economic, financial, banking, sanctions, and the issue of Lebanon, Iran would not compromise on its support for the "resistance front."

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If these same behaviors continue, then no, we do not have any trust at all, and with this lack of trust, it's not possible for negotiations to continue.