WANA (Nov 16) – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Center for International Studies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the United States has shown no readiness for engaging in a genuine, result-oriented negotiation in recent months.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Defense”, Saeed Khatibzadeh said: “The United States seeks to achieve its objectives through diplomatic theatrics and the performance of negotiations. While the other side deploys all its military capabilities against other countries and mobilizes its resources in a posture of threat, such a negotiation cannot be considered impartial.”
Khatibzadeh stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran had made every effort in recent months—prior to the escalation of hostilities—to prevent further conflict and rising tensions. “What occurred was driven by illusions and perceptual distortions on the part of the other side. Our people should know that Iran has always been ready to engage in dialogue within the framework set by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution,” he said.
Clarifying his earlier use of the term “armed negotiation,” he noted: “If negotiations with the United States are ever to take place under the specified conditions, they will inevitably be conducted in a state of complete distrust. Not only do we lack any trust in the other side, but we are fully prepared to respond effectively to any attempt at deception.”
The international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Self-Defense” was inaugurated with the presence of Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the Center for Political and International Studies of the Foreign Ministry. Social media/ WANA News Agency
The international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Defense” opened on Sunday, November 16, in Tehran with an inaugural speech by Iran’s Foreign Minister. The one-day event brings together 350 domestic and international participants, including diplomatic delegations, scholars, and analysts from France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Iraq, Ireland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Finland, Russia, and several regional states.
The program features four expert panels titled:
1. International Law Under Siege: From a Rules-Based Order to Power-Based Dynamics
2. Betrayal of Diplomacy: U.S. and Israeli Aggression Against Iran
3. Non-Proliferation at Risk: Emerging Trends and Dominant Discourses
4. Reevaluating Regional Security Arrangements: Key Elements and Determinants
Additionally, an open discussion with Mohammad Eslami, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, hosted by Saeed Khatibzadeh, will be held as part of the conference agenda.