Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday suggested that his country may be willing to hold talks if the United States showed it respect, but Tehran would not be pressured into negotiations, the Fars news agency reported.
Washington reimposed sanctions last year and ratcheted them up in May, ordering all countries to halt imports of Iranian oil. In recent weeks it has also hinted at military confrontation, saying it was sending extra forces to the Middle East to respond to an Iranian threat.
U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, saying it was not strong enough and that a new agreement should be negotiated. Some U.S. officials have spoken of the possibility of new talks.
On Monday, Trump said Iran "has a chance to be a great country with the same leadership... We aren't looking for regime change – I just want to make that clear."
The Fars news agency quoted Rouhani as saying: "We are for logic and talks if [the other side] sits respectfully at the negotiating table and follows international regulations, not if it issues an order to negotiate."
Iran's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday Iran would not negotiate with Washington. Rouhani had previously signaled talks might be possible if sanctions were lifted.
In Saturday's speech to a group of Iranian athletes, Rouhani noted Trump's recent remarks and suggested they were a climb-down from statements last year that encouraged regime change in Iran.
"The same enemy that declared its aim last year to destroy the Islamic Republic of Iran today explicitly states that it does not want to do anything to [our] system," Rouhani said. "If we remain hopeful in the war with America, we will win."
