US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made headlines June 2 when he said that the United States is ready to negotiate with Iran with “no preconditions.” Pompeo added that the Donald Trump administration simply wants Iran to act like a “normal nation.”

The United States unilaterally reneged on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and the European Union in May 2015. The State Department then issued 12 demands to Iran concerning its foreign policy and its missile and nuclear programs before lifting sanctions.

Given that the United States reimposed sanctions after it exited the JCPOA, Iranian leaders have not taken the bait from Pompeo’s recent statements. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was the first Iranian official to respond.

“Mr. Pompeo’s emphasis on continuing the campaign of maximum pressure shows the continuation of improper behavior and needs to be corrected,” Mousavi said. He added that as far as Iran is concerned, “Word play and expressing hidden agendas with new words does not fit the criteria for action.”