TEHRAN, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Talking about diplomacy to settle problems is "hypocritical" as long as the United States has not lifted the sanctions on Iran, Iranian government's spokesman Ali Rabiee said on Tuesday.
The U.S. government's claim that it believes in diplomacy is mere "hypocritical rhetoric and unacceptable" without the practical removal of the sanctions on Iran, Rabiee was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
"We believe in diplomacy as the only way out of the impasse created by Washington. But the least thing to prove goodwill is that the U.S. should honor its primary commitments which it has reneged on under the UN Security Council Resolution 2231," he said.
He urged the U.S. President Joe Biden not to follow the legacy of his predecessor who exerted maximum pressure of sanctions against the Islamic republic.
Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday said that time was "not appropriate" for an informal meeting between Iran, Europe and the United States.
Last week, the European Union offered to attend an informal meeting between Iran and other parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the United States also attending as a guest.
