Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday, February 5 that US President Donald Trump’s reimposition of a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran will end in “failure” as it did during his first term.
During his first term which ended in 2021, Trump pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, withdrawing the United States from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, and reimposing strong economic sanctions.
The deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)– imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
Tehran adhered to the deal until a year after Washington pulled out, but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the 2015 deal have since faltered.
On Tuesday, Trump signed an order reinstating the “maximum pressure” policy against Iran over allegations that the country is seeking a nuclear weapons capability.
Iran denies any such ambition, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes
“I believe that maximum pressure is a failed experiment and trying it again will turn into another failure,” Araghchi told reporters following a cabinet meeting, adding that Tehran was not pursuing nuclear weapons.
“If the main issue is that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, it is achievable and is not much of a problem,” Araghchi said.
On Wednesday, Iran’s nuclear agency chief Mohammad Eslami insisted that his country remains committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, saying “Iran does not have, and will not have a nuclear weapons programme”.
A longstanding religious decree, or fatwa, issued by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, prohibits Iran from possessing a nuclear arsenal.