Iran declares it does not accept ‘deceptive diplomacy’

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister in charge of political affairs, Mr. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, met with ambassadors of countries in Tehran on April 10, saying that the 10-point proposal proposed by Tehran had been accepted as the basis for upcoming negotiations.

His statement was made before the US and Iranian delegations were scheduled to meet in Islamabad, Pakistan from April 11 to discuss a long-term ceasefire. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the talks in Islamabad could last up to 15 days.

Deputy Minister Ravanchi reaffirmed that Iran is ready for dialogue, but will not tolerate “deceptive diplomacy” used as a cover for the opponent to prepare future military operations.

“Iran rejects any ceasefire that would allow the enemy to rearm and launch future attacks,” he said of Iran’s position on any potential deal.

He noted that Iran has clearly informed its international partners that the current situation will not end without binding guarantees to prevent similar attacks from recurring.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister also clarified that Iran’s “defense” activities should not be considered hostile actions towards its neighbors. He said that Iran’s military response only targets US bases and facilities in the region, and reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to a “good neighborly” policy.

On April 8, the United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan to facilitate the negotiation process. US Vice President JD Vance will lead the US negotiating team, while the Iranian delegation is said to be led by National Assembly Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Before leaving for Pakistan today, US Vice President JD Vance said he was looking forward to it and hoped the discussions would be “positive”.

“As the President said, if Iran is willing to negotiate in good faith, we will certainly extend our hand. But if they seek to take advantage of us, they will find that the negotiating team will not easily accept that,” Mr. Vance said.

According to the US Vice President, Mr. Trump gave “clear instructions” about the discussions to the negotiating team, including special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but did not give further details.