TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi declared that his country is waiting for the European states' practical solutions and mechanisms to ensure Tehran's continued merits under the nuclear deal after after the US withdrawal.
"Europe's package includes different fields of oil, gas, insurance and banking issues and they cover Iran's demands (for its continued merits) under the nuclear deal, but we are still waiting for their practical solutions on the practice of these undertakings, which is an issue currently under negotiation," Araqchi said on Monday.
Elsewhere, he referred to the US threats to zero Iran's oil exports, and said, "If we have no exports, others will not have any exports either. Iran has many options and power and it is not limited the Strait of Hormuz as the only solution."
Araqchi expressed the hope that Iran wouldn't be forced to take the option of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz or adopting other similar options, reminding that such an option would not be in the interest of the international community and the US allies, specially the Europeans, China, Russia and India, therefore, they are in talks with Tehran over its demands.
"Our first demand is Iran's oil sales and the return of its money back to the country. Negotiations with the Europeans are aimed at reaching a practical mechanism to sell Iran's oil," he added.
In relevant remarks on Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned his US counterpart Donald Trump against the unbearable costs and dire consequences of blocking Iran's oil exports, saying belligerency against Iran would the "mother of wars".
"The regional states are either afraid of the US or do not trust it. Anyone who understands politics a little bit would never say that he/she would prevent exports of Iran's oil. We have many Straits. The Strait of Hormuz is just one of them," President Rouhani said, addressing the Iranian ambassadors to foreign states in Tehran on Sunday, repeating his earlier tacit threat that Tehran would close off the Strait of Hormuz in response to any move by the US to zero its crude supplies.
He stressed that Iran has been the guarantor of security in the Strait of Hormuz all throughout the history, saying, "Mr. Trump! Do not twist the lion's tail because you will regret. You are not able to provoke the Iranian nation against Iran's security and interests."
"The Americans should come to realize this point well that peace with Iran would be the mother of all peaces and war with Iran would be the mother of all wars. We do not quiver from threats and we have a deterrent power. Today our internal unity is more than before, threats make us more coherent and we will definitely beat the US," Rouhani said, and added, "We would sustain costs, but will earn greater interests."
President Rouhani underscored that the new conditions created after the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal is an opportunity for relations with the world, exports and home-made production, saying, "Today, talks with the US has no other meaning but surrendering and putting an end to the Iranian nation's achievements. If we surrender to a liar bullying person like Trump, they will plunder Iran."
Addressing a group of Iranians in Switzerland on July 2, President Rouhani had also said that "it would be meaningless that Iran cannot export its oil while others in the region can. Do this if you can and see its consequences".
He also underlined that Tehran will never give in to pressure forced upon it by foreign countries.
After his remarks, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari warned the US not to make any stupid move to halt Iran's oil exports, and said the IRGC is fully prepared to implement the latest position adopted by President Rouhani with regard to closing the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
"We stand ready to put in action President Hassan Rouhani's latest position that if Tehran were not able to export its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, no other country would be able to do so," General Jafari said.
Also, Commander of the IRGC Quds Force Major General Qassem Soleimani appreciated President Rouhani for both his remarks against Israel and his warning against any possible US move to stop Iran's oil exports.
"What has been released in the media about your remarks that if the Islamic Republic of Iran's oil is not exported, there will be no guarantee for export of oil from any other point in this region, and the highly valuable remarks about the Islamic Republic of Iran's position on the Zionist regime is a source of pride and honor," General Soleimani said in a letter to Rouhani.
He praised President Rouhani for his timely, wise and correct comments, and underlined his preparedness to exercise any policy that is in the interest of the Islamic Republic.
Also, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Saturday supported President Rouhani's remarks that any attempt to block Iran's oil sales would have dire consequences, including for other regional states' crude exports.
"President’s remarks in his recent trip to Europe stating, ‘if Iran’s oil export is blocked, no other country in the region will export oil either', is a crucial remark expressing the Islamic Republic's approach," Ayatollah Khamenei said in Tehran, addressing the foreign minister, staff and officials of the ministry of foreign affairs, as well as Iranian ambassadors and senior diplomats serving abroad.
He asked the foreign ministry to sternly follow up on such stances by the President.
Elsewhere, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to his earlier warnings that the Americans' words or even signatures cannot be relied on, and said, "Thus, negotiations with the US are useless. The assumption that negotiations or establishing ties with the US would solve the country's problems is an obvious error."
"The US has fundamental issues with the essence of the Islamic establishment. Moreover, there are many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America which have relations with the United States, yet they are facing plenty of problems," he added.
The US authorities seek to return to the position and status they enjoyed in Iran before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and they will not be content with anything less than that, Ayatollah Khamenei warned.
He, meantime, called for continued talks with the European states, but said that the country should make more progress and take the necessary measures to resolve problems without waiting for their package of proposals.
Two months later, the other five powers party to the nuclear deal have failed to satisfy Iran. President Rouhani voiced his disappointment over a recent package of incentives proposed by the European Union countries to Tehran, and said that the Islamic Republic expected a much better, clearer and explicit stance by the EU.