CGTN's Asieh Namdar recently sat down with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for a wide-ranging interview.

Among the many topics discussed, tensions between the United States and Iran.

"If Mike Pompeo called you up FM Zarif and said, 'FM, let's have a meeting, let's talk, let's try to figure this out.' Would you be willing to meet with Mike Pompeo?"

"Well, I've always been open to dialogue. But dialogue does not require mutual trust. It requires mutual respect. And mutual respect starts with respecting yourself. That is respecting your own commitments. Respecting what you have agreed to. Secretary Pompeo doesn't represent an individual, he represents the united states government. And the United States, according to international law, is committed to the JCPOA, is obliged to observe JCPOA. Not, not only because it was the result of not just a few meetings but many meetings. And, then it became Security Council resolution. Last I checked, the United States is still a permanent member of the Security Council. President Trump sat on the seat of the president of the Security Council. So they should respect the house that they represent."