Iran responds to Trump: They are not obligated to buy American agricultural products
She said " target="_blank">Trump said on Tuesday that Iranian funds would be used to purchase food and medical equipment exclusively from the United States, including corn, wheat, and soybeans from American farmers.
But Hemmati assured the Iranians that the matter was not true, and said: There is no condition of this kind in the memorandums that were signed during the negotiations, and there is no commitment to purchase from the United States.
He continued: "But we also do not see a problem in purchasing from the United States if the price and quality of the basic commodities, whether corn, wheat, or any other product we need, are competitive.
Hemmati also explained the Iranian concept of the terms of the agreement related to ending the sanctions that ban its exports of oil and petrochemicals, and said that during the 60-day negotiation period, Iran will be free to export petroleum products without sanctions-related pressures, including financial restrictions.
He added: We will be able to deliver these products via any Port, use any ship, and receive payments into any accounts we designate, so we can use the proceeds freely.
Big criticism of Trump
Trump has faced criticism for signing an agreement with Tehran to stop the US-Iran war and begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, before reaching any agreement on the future of its nuclear program.
But on Tuesday, he wrote on social media that the frozen funds would be placed in an escrow account under US control and used to buy food. And vital medicines, not to finance Iran’s rearmament, for example.
However, Hemmati downplayed the importance of these restrictions, and said: "For us, it does not make a big difference. We spend about 10 to 12 billion dollars annually, and perhaps close to 15 billion dollars, on basic goods.
He added: "If the funds released are used for these imports, the resources that we would have allocated could be used in other areas or saved as reserves.".
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