Lawmaker Blasts US Dual-Track Policy on Iran

A senior Iranian legislator strongly criticized the US dual-track policy of pressure and talks, and stated that Washington is trying to deceive public opinion with its offer to hold direct talks with Tehran.

Rapporteur of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini said that the US words and actions do not correspond and it is only trying to “deceive public opinion” with the talks offer.

“The Americans want to show that they are willing to negotiate but in practice, they are following (the path of) threats, sanctions and pressure,” he stated on Friday.

The Iranian lawmaker further said that as long as the Americans have not cleared obstacles in the way of direct talks and have not taken a confidence-building measure, Iranian officials should know that the US officials are not honest in their offer.

Meantime, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said Tehran rejected US proposal for talks because of Washington’s attitude being from the position of pressure and imposition.

Ahmadinejad, who was in Cairo to attend the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stressed that talks must be based on “understanding”.

“Americans have recently changed their tune and if they also change they actions and approach and respect justice and the rights of the Iranian nation we will consider their proposals positively,” he underscored.

His remarks came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Thursday dismissed the US offer of direct talks with Iran, saying that the proposal has been made in word, while Washington’s actions show a different course, meaning that the offer is nothing but a cunning move.

Addressing a gathering of Iranian Air Force commanders and personnel here in Tehran, the Leader rejected the US statesmen’s remarks that the ball is now in Iran’s court, and said, “The ball is in your court because you should answer and say if speaking of negotiations concurrent with pressures and threats basically bears any meaning.”

“Negotiation is meant to prove the goodwill. But you make tens of (hostile) actions with ill intention and then speak of negotiations in words. Can the Iranian nation believe that you are driven by goodwill,” the Leader continued.

He further stated that the US needs talks with Iran because Washington’s Middle-East policy has proved as a failure and Americans need to show a winning ace to repair their damaged reputation.

The Iranian Supreme Leader’s remarks came after US Vice-President Joe Biden, speaking at this year’s Munich Security Conference, reiterated previous indications that the US was prepared to talk one-on-one with Iran.

The United States and Iran broke diplomatic relations in April 1980, after Iranian students seized the United States’ espionage center at its embassy in Tehran. The two countries have had tense relations ever since, but have shown willingness to attend talks to help resolve regional issues, including security in Iraq. Yet, the two countries have avoided talks on bilateral issues for the last thirty years.

Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.