‘Any attempt to reimpose “maximum pressure” on Tehran would be doomed to failure’

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Monday, Takht-Ravanchi said coercion and intimidation against the Islamic Republic over its peaceful nuclear program would prove ineffective.

He expressed hope that US President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t repeat the same mistake he made during his first four-year presidency.

Back in May 2018, then-President Trump pulled the United States out of the landmark nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers in pursuit of a confrontational approach, which he called the “maximum pressure” campaign, toward the Islamic Republic.

At the time, Trump promised to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero, claiming that he would bring Iran to the negotiating table to negotiate a “better deal” than the one reached under his predecessor, Barack Obama. However, he failed to reach any of his professed goals.

“If the Trump administration decides to pursue the maximum pressure policy in the oil market again, it will surely fail,” Takht-Ravanchi said. “In today’s world, no single country can dictate terms to the entire international community.”

He also made clear that Iran favors negotiations, as it proved with the 2015 deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “But who sabotaged the negotiations previously? It was the Trump administration who was unwilling to negotiate.”

At the same time, the top Iranian diplomat warned that if Trump again takes a tough approach, “maximum pressure will be met with maximum resistance”.

Takht-Ravanchi also suggested that it is premature to speculate whether Tehran and Washington would be able to initiate constructive negotiations on the nuclear issue and regional developments.

“As for negotiations, we need to observe US policy and decide how to respond accordingly,” he said, adding, “Right now, the key question is how the new administration will approach Iran, the nuclear issue, regional security and [West Asia].”

In the meantime, he said, “We will continue to work around sanctions, diversify our trade partners and strengthen regional relations to maintain calm.”