Tehran : Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has termed the "contradictory and excessive behaviours" of the United States as a major obstacle to diplomacy, Al Jazeera quoting the Iran's ISNA news agency reported.
Speaking during a meeting with Pakistan Interior Minister Seyed Mohsin Naqvi, Araghchi said Iran remains deeply suspicious of the US establishment due to what he described as repeated breaches of promises in the past, ISNA news agency reported.
The meeting between Araghchi and Naqvi took place on Monday, in which both leaders discussed the latest status of bilateral relations as well as the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States.
Earlier, Tehran put forward its most recent 14-point resolution draft, conveying the framework via Islamabad. According to a report by the Tasnim news agency, which cited an informant intimately connected to the delegation involved in the talks, the diplomatic roadmap has been formally transmitted through Pakistan.
The state-affiliated media outlet further highlighted that the primary objective driving the Iranian administration's diplomatic strategy is "to end the war and build trust" among the stakeholders involved.
Providing a critical domestic context to this secret 14-point diplomatic push, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday strongly defended Tehran's decision to pursue direct negotiations with the United States. He declared that dialogue conducted "with dignity" is an absolute necessity, while simultaneously stressing that Iran will continue defending its national rights.
According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), President Pezeshkian made these crucial remarks during a high-profile public relations gathering of executive agencies titled "Iranian Narrators". Taking a firm stance against hardline domestic critics who oppose any diplomatic re-engagement with Washington, President Pezeshkian argued that isolating the country from the negotiating table is completely counterproductive. "It is not logical to say that we will not negotiate," the President said.
However, this diplomatic overture from Tehran faces a massive wall of resistance from Washington. US President Donald Trump has constantly pushed for the negotiations, while threatening to attack Tehran if they refuse to accept Washington's terms of ceasefire.
Trump on Monday said that he has "put off" a planned attack on Iran for a short period amid "big discussions" with the country over the ongoing West Asia crisis. "I put it (attack on Iran) off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while because we've had very big discussions with Iran and we'll see what they amount to.
I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and some others if we could put it off for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal...It's a very positive development, but we'll see whether or not it amounts to anything," said President Trump.
The development comes at a sensitive moment, with Washington weighing both diplomatic and military options as tensions over Iran's nuclear programme continue to escalate. US officials say President Donald Trump is still seeking a negotiated settlement but is increasingly frustrated by Tehran's refusal to accept what Washington considers essential concessions.