Iran on Monday dared the United States to attempt a ground invasion of the country as renewed hostilities entered their 10th day.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the United States would face âconsequences of any adventureâ to seize Kharg Island and warned that the Iranian leadership was âcounting down the minutes to welcomeâ US forces in the event of a ground invasion.
Talks with mediators are underway to reorganize the first round of technical negotiations between Washington and Tehran, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.
In an interview on Thursday evening, Esmaeil Baghaei rejected media speculations regarding an agreement and reaffirmed Iranâs resolute and principled stance.
âTextually, the text has almost been finalized in its major parts. The problem is that the contradictory positions of the United States have always caused turbulence and disruption in this process,â Baghaei stated.
He emphasized that the Islamic Republic entered the diplomatic process with goodwill and full responsibility, while American officials have repeatedly shifted positions, raised unrealistic new demands, and even carried out military attacks during the negotiations.
Speaking with CNNâs Senior International correspondent Frederik Pleitgen in Tehran Sunday, Baghaei said the exchange of messages continued through Pakistani mediators.
âThe main problem of negotiating with this administration is that you have to face so many changing positions, moving the goal posts, different statements, contradictory remarks by different officials, so it makes the whole process very cumbersome,â Baghaei said.
There were quite a number of sticking points, he said, âbut the main issue is that the Americans must understand that they have to recognize Iranâs rights,â including its right to peaceful nuclear enrichment under the international non-proliferation treaty.
In an exclusive interview with CNN Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen in Tehran on Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei acknowledged that messages continue to pass between Tehran and Washington via Pakistani intermediaries.
âThe main problem of negotiating with this administration is that you have to face so many changing positions, moving the goal posts, different statements, contradictory remarks by different officials, so it makes the whole process very cumbersome,â he said.