Iran will not yield to U.S. 'pressure and sanctions' on nuclear dispute

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will not succumb to pressure and sanctions imposed by Washington, the Islamic Republic's top diplomat said on Tuesday after meeting his Russian counterpart, days after Moscow held initial talks with the U.S. just a month after Donald Trump returned to the White House.

During his one-day trip to Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed regional and bilateral topics with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, state media reported.

The visit comes a day after the United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry, the Islamic Republic's main source of income.

Trump earlier this month restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive the country's oil exports to zero, reimposing a tough policy on Iran that was practiced throughout his first term.

"Iran's position regarding nuclear talks is clear and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions," Araqchi said during a televised joint press conference with Lavrov.

"There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the U.S. as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way."

While Trump had said he would "love to make a deal" with Iran's clerical rulers, Iran's utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said this month that talks with the United States were "not smart, wise, or honorable".

However, he stopped short of renewing a ban on direct talks with Washington decreed during the first Trump administration.

In 2018, during his previous term in office, Trump pulled the U.S. out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

Tehran has since breached the pact's nuclear limitations and efforts to revive the pact under the Biden administration failed.

Lavrov said he was sure that diplomatic measures were still on the table when it came to resolving issues around Iran's nuclear programme.

Moscow and Tehran have angered the West by developing stronger defence ties since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.

"Our cooperation will be in various fields, including energy, trade, tourism and many other areas," Araqchi said.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ros Russell)