TEHRAN – A member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Majlis believes that despite what it claims, Washington is not seeking negotiations with Iran.

“The Americans have adopted the policy of carrot and stick. This is a double sided coin, one side is the threats and movement of warships and aircraft carriers and forces as well as the call to counter Iran, and the other side is calling for talks, given phone number to Iran, and stressing the point that they do not seek a military war, but an economic war only. They are pursuing these schemes but these are none of their objectives,” Hossein Naqavi Hosseini told ISNA in an interview published on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in his interview, the MP said Americans are not “the men of war or negotiations”.

“The Americans are not men of war, because they know our capabilities and their own situation in the region, realizing that if a war breaks out, they will be the one to suffer the greatest damage. On the other side, they are not faithful to agreements or talks, having shown that in practice. The conclusion is that the Americans are not men of war or negotiations. Their objective is to create psychological war in our country.”

Elaborating on the strategies pursued by the Trump administration against Iran, he said, “The scheme that the Americans are pursuing is to maximize sanctions in order to empty the dinner tables of the households in Iran, create problems for production, and worsen unemployment rates. 

“Then, by maximizing economic hardships, they plan to divide the people of Iran into two groups, one that favors negotiations and one that does not, therefore intensifying tension in the Iranian society. 

“Under such circumstances with America’s psychological war being waged, we have no way but to resist. The only path to victory for us lies in resisting the psychological war. We should not be fooled by their game.” 

He added that part of Trump’s behavior is motivated by his eye on the 2020 presidential elections which he is working hard to win again. 

“Trump is planning for the future election, because he has to provide answer to the Democrats and tell them what plan he has had for Iran.”

After Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal back in 2017, the Iranian currency, rial, started a downfall in value, going from 42,000 to now 14,000 against the greenback.

The U.S. exited the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018, vowing to drive Iran's oil exports down to zero.

SP/PA