The Friday prayer Imam of Tehran, Ahmad Khatami, said that in current conditions, negotiations with the United States mean surrender and humiliation.

On his Friday sermon, Khatami said: “We are dealing with an insane person (Trump), and if we take one step back, he takes ten steps forwards. We must bash his head in with a rock. It is the Iranian nation who bashes the head of this insane person in with a rock, and in these conditions, negotiations mean surrender, and surrender means humiliation. The Iranian nation will not surrender, and its slogan is humiliation is far from us.”

Discussions over negotiations between Iran and the United States started when Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic, suggested negotiations over prisoner swap with the United States.

Zarif’s suggestion has had its supporters and opponents within the Islamic Republic. Ali Larijani, the speaker of the parliament, and Qasem Soleimani, the head of Quds (Jerusalem) Force of the IRGC have stated that negotiations with the United States mean “surrender”.

Khatami continued: “Trump is using threats these days. Our ears have been filled with these threats for the past 40 years. One of these threats is to reduce Iran’s oil export to zero. America knows it well and yet acts ignorant. With the divine grace, our regime will produce and export as much oil as we want.”

The United States refused to extend the oil sanction waivers for Iran’s customers and starting on May 1st, those countries will not buy any more oil from Iran.