No reason for negotiation with Trump: Iranian FM

"US President Donald Trump has called for negotiations despite his hostile policies,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said while delivering speech at the 18th edition of Doha Forum in the Qatari capital on Saturday.

“Iran used to be ready for direct talks with the United States, and we did it, and I spent a lot of time talking with former US Secretary of State John Kerry, the result of that was the nuclear deal, from which Donald Trump pulled out,” the Iranian top diplomat added.

“Negotiating with Donald Trump's government is futile,” Zarif stressed.

He further criticized the US interventionist policy in the region, saying that the deployment of Iranian forces has taken place at the request of the governments of the hosting countries.

"As long as our national interests are met and the European Union complies with its obligations, we will remain committed to the nuclear deal," Zarif added.

Turning to the crisis in Yemen, Zarif said: "Iran has not provided weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, and they are using the weapons that they received from Saudi Arabia during Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule."

He further expressed hope that the recent agreement in Sweden on the Yemeni crisis would put an end to the suffering of the people of the war-torn country.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with imported weapons from the United States and Britain have turned Yemen into hell, the Iranian top diplomat said, adding that tens of thousands of people were directly killed in airstrikes carried out by Saudi-led coalition while one million more people have been infected by cholera.

Iranian Foreign Minister expressed regret over Saudi government policies, saying that it is upsetting that the Saudis think their interests are in intensifying tensions in relations with other countries.

Iranian Foreign Minister added that the Saudis think they can get away with murder.

Zarif said there were only 'allegations' that Iran had sent weapons to Yemen, whereas there were 'facts' that other countries had shipped arms to Yemen.

“Those are American-made jets and those are Saudi fighters,” Zarif said.

“If there are allegations about Iranian weapons, there are facts about US weapons, facts about Saudis bombing the hell out of the Yemenis,” he added.

Zarif said that the United States and its ally, Saudi Arabia were responsible for the 'humanitarian nightmare' in war-torn Yemen.

Iranian Foreign Minister said US sanctions will have no impact on the policies of the Islamic republic at home or abroad.

"We will continue to sell oil and engage with the international community, and the ones who abandoned engagement with us will be the losers," Zarif said.

“It is obvious that we are facing pressure by the US sanctions. But will that lead to a change in policy? I can assure you it won’t,” Zarif told the Doha Forum policy conference in Qatar.

“If there is an art we have perfected in Iran and can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions,” he added.

The US imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran this year, after earlier unilaterally pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal with global powers.

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