Iran judiciary chief criticizes lobbyists seeking rapprochement with U.S.

TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) – Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani has criticized those who favor rapprochement between Iran and the United States regardless of Washington’s aggressive policies towards Tehran.

Unfortunately some “simple-minded persons” have forgotten the U.S. belligerent’s approach toward Iran and even accept the role of “political lobbyists” outside Iran, Larijani stated.

“So badly they favor talks with the U.S., irrespective of the lasting U.S. enmity towards Iran, that they have resorted to lobbyists in the U.S.,” he added.

Larijani was allegedly referring to the role of Iranian-American lobbyists who are seeking to broker a rapprochement between Tehran and Washington.

“Resuming diplomatic ties with the U.S. is not something that anybody in different branches of government could decide about,” he noted.

On Wednesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stated that Iran will not negotiate with the United States under pressure and threats.

“For obvious reasons, we have refused to negotiate with the United States because we do not regard negotiation under the shadow of threats and pressure as negotiation,” the Leader told a large gathering of senior state officials.

Also a number of Majlis MPs have said talks with U.S. under the current condition runs against national interests.

The Deputy Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Esmaeil Kowsari, stated that “on one hand they (U.S.) impose sanctions, and on the other they want to enter into talks with us which is a sign of their ill intentions.”

MP Majid Nasirpour said that “our general policies” should be drawn up based on a principle which would ban negotiation with the U.S.

Iran and the United States have not had formal diplomatic relations since Iran's Islamic revolution (1979).