Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the US that its flip-flop and contradictory stances will destroy mutual confidence, urging Washington to show consistency in dealing with Iran to promote trust.
[US] President [Barack] Obama should avert contradiction in order to win the confidence of the Iranian people. Flip-flop and contradictory positions will destroy trust and discredit the United States, Zarif said on Tuesday.
President Obamas presumption that Iran has entered negotiations due to his threats and illegal sanctions is an insult to a nation, [and is] bullying and wrong, the Iranian minister pointed out.
Zarif made the comments in response to the latest remarks by the US president during his meeting with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday.
Obama once again repeated Washingtons warmongering rhetoric against Tehran over Iran's nuclear energy program, saying the US will take no options off the table with regard to Iran.
"We take no options off the table, including military option," he said.
He also added that Iranians are now prepared to negotiate because of the sanctions.
Zarif criticized the US president for making such remarks which were completely unacceptable but were not unpredictable, adding, We will not allow Netanyahu to determine the future of our negotiations.
He emphasized that Iran would give the strongest response to such remarks, saying, It is important to know that a difficult path has begun. This path is a diplomatic battle and not a friendly and cordial relation.
The meeting between Obama and Netanyahu came only days after Iran President Hassan Rouhani and his US counterpart had a landmark phone conversation on September 27 mainly focusing on Irans nuclear energy program.
It was the first direct communication between an Iranian and a US president since the victory of Irans Islamic Revolution more than three decades ago.
The two presidents stressed Tehran and Washingtons political will to swiftly resolve the dispute over Irans nuclear energy program which the United States, Israel and some of their allies claim to include a military component.
Iran has categorically rejected the allegation, stressing that as a committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.