This Is Why Iran Is Closing the Door on Negotiations with the US

Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia Mohammad Boroujerdi has stressed that Tehran rejects a range of international mediation offers, including from Indonesia, aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East. Iran said it would not negotiate with the United States, citing past negotiation experiences that allegedly always ended in breaches of agreements. The remarks refer to statements by Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had earlier said it was ready to facilitate dialogue to ease tensions, including President Prabowo Subianto’s willingness to act as mediator. ‘The proposal from the Indonesian government, we wish to convey that we have no negotiations in any form with our enemies, because we no longer trust negotiatons,’ Boroujerdi said in Jakarta on Thursday (5/5). He said that past experiences show that every negotiating process with the United States ends with breach of agreements or even military attacks on Iran. He explained that the first negotiations related to Iran’s nuclear program produced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015. The agreement involved Iran and a number of major world powers, but the United States subsequently decided to withdraw from it. Boroujerdi said that the second set of negotiations consisted of five rounds during which we engaged with them, and in the middle of the talks they attacked our country. The third round took place indirectly with Oman acting as mediator. At the time, the Iran and United States delegations were in the third round of indirect talks in Geneva, before military operations between the two countries broke out. Referring to that sequence of inconclusive negotiations, Boroujerdi stressed that Iran will no longer open space for dialogue with Washington and will focus on efforts to win the ongoing conflict. ‘This concerns a commitment to negotiations and the assurance that negotiations will continue until a result is achieved. For this time we will not accept any form of negotiation and we will pursue this war to Iran’s victory,’ he said. Earlier, the Indonesian government appealed to all parties, especially the US and Iran, to show restraint and prioritise dialogue and diplomacy to ease tensions in the Middle East. Indonesia also stated its readiness to facilitate direct talks between the two countries if both sides agree. In addition, President Vladimir Putin of Russia also expressed willingness to act as a mediator. According to the Kremlin, Putin even offered to convey the United Arab Emirates’ concerns about the attacks to Iran as part of efforts to defuse tensions. These diplomatic efforts by various countries come amid rising tensions in the Middle East involving Iran and the United States.