TEHRAN – The deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament has said that sitting for talks with the United States would only bring “humiliation” and “full-fledged surrender” to Iran.

Speaking to ISNA in an interview published on Sunday, Masoud Pezeshkian said under U.S. sanctions, Iran should look inward, trust its own capabilities, and resist pressure.

Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, a move which was largely regarded as mediation between Iran and the U.S.

But Ayatollah Khamenei told Abe that he saw “no merit in [U.S. President Donald] Trump as a person to deserve the exchange of any messages,” negating the prospect of any talks between Tehran and Washington.

SP/PA