Iran’s resistance stiffens under pressure: Tehran Mayor

TEHRAN,March 13(MNA) – Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is a member of the three-strong principlist coalition planning to contest the 2013 presidential election, says Iran’s resistance stiffens under pressure. “We have always stated that we are ready for principled and systematic dialogue, but it is the West which does not agree to dialogue on an equal footing,” Qalibaf said during a recent question-and-answer session with a number of reporters from the Tehran Times and the Mehr News Agency in reference to the dispute between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program. “The reality is that the West, particularly the United States, has not adopted a constructive approach toward Iran’s nuclear issue. They speak from a high-handed position and do not consider the interests and priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “Iran is ready for negotiations, but on the same footing. Otherwise, naturally, the sanctions at any level cannot change our principled and strategic objectives. “The Westerners and the Americans have always observed that our resistance has stiffened and will stiffen under pressure, and this is part of our foreign policy strategy. The fact that some people naively talk about dialogue with the West and the United States under any circumstances has its roots in a poor understanding of the approaches of the West and Iran. It is the West’s approach, not Iran’s, which is unconstructive and high-handed. “It is wrong to assume that the Americans’ (proposal for) dialogue shows a fundamental change in their stance toward the Iranian nation and government.” Commenting on the effect of the sanctions on the country’s economy, Qalibaf said that the economic problems can be partly blamed on the sanctions and the main problem facing the country was poor management.