Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (Photo: IRNA/VNA)

In an interview with Kyodo News, Zarif said what is required for dialogue is mutual respect, not mutual confidence. The administration of US President Donald Trump could smooth the way for dialogue by adhering to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump "illegally" pulled out of earlier this year, and by halting the unilateral sanctions he has imposed, Zarif said.

He added if a new administration in Washington can suddenly abandon the fruit of two-and-a-half years of intensive negotiations, it brings into question whether the United States can be relied on to honor other international agreements.