Iran's Zarif rules out talks with U.S. over a new nuclear deal

Record ID: 1427649

  • Title: Iran's Zarif rules out talks with U.S. over a new nuclear deal
  • Date: 19th August 2019
  • Summary: HELSINKI, FINLAND (AUGUST 19, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** IRANIAN MOTORCADE ARRIVING OUTSIDE 'HOUSE OF THE ESTATES', IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER PEKKA HAAVISTO WELCOMING ZARIF ZARIF SEATED AT TABLE IRANIAN AND FINNISH DELEGATIONS SEATED HAAVISTO SPEAKING TO ZARIF ZARIF LISTENING DELEGATIONS SEATED AT TABLE HAAVISTO AND ZARIF ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, SAYING: "We reached that good deal and the United States withdrew from that good deal, so any mediation should be how they can come back to the negotiating table that they left; how can they come back to the commitments that they made; how they can come back to a security council resolution that they sponsored; not just voted on, but sponsored" IRANIAN FLAG SOUNDBITE) (English) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, SAYING: "Well we always held that the seizure of Grace 1, now Adrian Darya, tanker was illegal and was not based on any law, that Iranian oil is not sanctioned by any entity and Iran is not subjected to European decisions and Europe does not seek even to impose its decisions on non-EU members so there was no grounds for taking that ship by Gibraltar authorities and by the United Kingdom. We are happy that this ordeal has ended and I hope that this will lead to de-escalation." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, SAYING: "Certainty the United States continues to try to make more escalation by passing a rather, purely political court decision on this ship which is a travesty of justice and law. Now because of U.S. sanctions we cannot be very transparent with the destination of our oil because the United States illegally tries to bully others from purchasing our oil." FINNISH FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER, PEKKA HAAVISTO, SAYING: "Regarding the role of Europe supporting the JCPoA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in this difficult times, I think we are trying to do our best of course on the European side. As I said, it's the group of the E3 countries that have been very crucial on this issue. We are also trying to look at different kinds of financing mechanism including the proposed INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges) mechanism and Finland is looking at it in a positive light, we have not made decisions yet here but we have been looking at the possibility of joining the INSTEX mechanism." MINISTERS SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2019 13:52
  • Keywords: Tehran nuclear deal Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto Iran tanker Grace 1 U.S. Gibraltar Finland
  • Location: HELSINKI, FINLAND
  • City: HELSINKI, FINLAND
  • Country: Finland
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ASVWV2F
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday (August 19) said Iran was not interested in talks with Washington, but any mediation should focus on bringing the United States back to the 2015 nuclear deal which it left last year.
    Zarif was speaking in Finland after meeting Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto, who said Europe was doing its best to salvage the deal.
    Zarif also said Iran was happy the Iranian tanker Grace 1, renamed the Adrian Darya 1, had been released from detention off Gibraltar and was sailing towards Greece.
    He added a move by the U.S. to seize the tanker had no legal basis and was politically motivated to "make more escalation".
    The seizure of the tanker by British Royal Marines near Gibraltar in July 4 on suspicion of carrying oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions led to a weeks-long stand-off between Tehran and the West. It also heightened tensions on international oil shipping routes through the Gulf.
    (Production: Attila Cser, Ilze Filks)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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