Iran rules out talks with U.S. under sanction pressures

TEHRAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Senior Iranian officials have ruled out the likelihood of any negotiations with the United States under the sanction pressures.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday called the U.S. government a "bully" one trying to force all other countries to do something "illegal," according to Press TV.

"This is the first time in history that a bully is telling everybody else, including the important countries, that I'm going to punish you if you observe something that I do not like," he said.

There is not any prospect of negotiation with the United States, Zarif noted.

The Iranian foreign minister referred to the U.S. sanction pressures against the Islamic republic as "economic terrorism, pure and simple."

He also criticized the European signatories of the Iranian nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), for what he called "not fully implementing their commitments."

Iran has urged the European countries to secure Iran's economic interests pertaining to the JCPOA following the U.S. withdrawal from the accord in May last year.

"While supporting the JCPOA verbally, Europe unfortunately has not been able to take any action," Zarif said.

On Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also ruled out any talks with the U.S. government over the disputed issues.

The United States wanted Iran to negotiate over its "defensive weapon" and to reduce the range of its missiles, while urging Iran to talk over its regional strategy, the Iranian leader was quoted as saying by the leader's official website.

"Therefore, the talks (over these issues) are basically wrong," Khamenei said, stressing that "talks with Washington, particularly with the current U.S. government, is poisonous."

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out the Iranian international nuclear deal in May last year and reimposed energy and financial sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Washington seeks to seal a new nuclear deal with Iran, to further curb Iran's nuclear program, stop Iran ballistic missile development and halt Iran's push for influence in the region.

"Iranians' ultimate option is to resist the U.S. pressures, and in this confrontations, Americans will have to retreat," Khamenei added.

However, the Iranian leader ruled out the possibility of war between Tehran and Washington despite tensions.