Tehran has dismissed the US’ offer to start talks with “no preconditions” except for behaving “like a normal nation” as “wordplay,” and urged the US to show goodwill by actions.

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The generous proposal, made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday, was met with a cold reaction in Iran, as the country has repeatedly stated it cannot be “bullied” into negotiations and Washington should lift its sanctions first. Regarding behaving “like a normal nation,” it's actually up to the US to do so, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani stated.

The other side that left the negotiating table and breached a treaty should return to normal state. Until then, we do not have a choice but resistance.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed Pompeo's statement as “wordplay,” designed to disguise the “same old wrong policy” towards the country, and urged the US to show its presumed goodwill through real actions.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not pay attention to wordplay and expression of hidden agenda in new forms. What matters is the change of US general approach and actual behavior towards the Iranian nation,” foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi stated.

While relations between the US and Iran have not been that cordial for decades already, they rapidly deteriorated after Washington pulled out from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal and imposed new sanctions on the country. Tensions have been particularly high over the past few weeks, as the US ramped up hostile rhetoric against Tehran and dispatched additional military assets in the region, accusing Iran – without proof – of plotting attacks on the US citizens in neighboring countries. Iran, for its part, maintains that it's not going to attack anyone, but is ready to defend itself, even in the case of a full-blown war.

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