Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araktsi said today that Tehran is open to diplomatic discussions to resolve disputes, but not under the regime of “threats and pressures”, Iranian state media reported today, after the US, UK, Germany and France imposed sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry .

Yesterday, head of European diplomacy, Joseph Borel said the EU bloc is considering new sanctions targeting Iranian air carriers, in response to Western accusations that the Islamic Republic is supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

“Iran continues its own path with strength, although we have always been open to talks to resolve differences… but dialogue should be based on mutual respect, not threats and pressures,” the Iranian foreign minister said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Araktsi said on Wednesday that Tehran has not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia, noting that sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and the three European powers will not solve any problems in Tehran’s relations with Western countries.

The US, Germany, Britain and France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions against Iran, including measures against the national airline Iran Air.