There can be no negotiations between Washington and Tehran if the United States makes threats against the Islamic republic, the Iranian foreign minister said Wednesday, with President Donald Trump refusing to rule out military action over Iran's crackdown on protesters.
"Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful. If they want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly set aside threats, excessive demands and raising illogical issues," said Abbas Araghchi after the U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier in the region.
"One cannot speak of talks in an atmosphere of threats," he said in televised comments, adding that in recent days he had "no contact" with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and that "Iran has not sought negotiations".
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