At U.N., Iran says atmosphere not right for U.S. talks, U.S. pushes diplomacy

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi speaks to the media outside Security Council chambers at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran's United Nations ambassador accused the United States on Monday of showing no respect for international law by imposing new sanctions on Iran, describing tensions between the pair as "really dangerous" and not the right atmosphere for talks.

"You cannot start a dialogue with somebody who is threatening you, who is intimidating you," Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi told reporters. "How can we start a dialogue with somebody whose primary occupation is to put more sanctions on Iran? The atmosphere of such a dialogue is not ready yet."