Senior Iranian lawmaker says trust remains biggest obstacle in US talks

A senior Iranian lawmaker said negotiations with the United States are being treated as an extension of the battlefield, while warning that a lack of trust continues to threaten the prospects for an agreement.

"We have said many times that we accept negotiation as a continuation of the battlefield. We consider negotiation to be part of the battle," Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for parliament's National Security Committee, told CNN.

Rezaei said Tehran would have "no problem" negotiating if it became convinced the United States was acting sincerely and abiding by the rules of diplomacy.

Asked about the main sticking points in the talks, he pointed to Iran's frozen assets abroad and said Tehran did not currently see a serious effort from Washington to reach an implementable framework.

He also stressed the importance of sanctions relief, banking access and Lebanon, saying Tehran would not retreat from supporting what it calls the "resistance front."

"The issue of Lebanon is very, very important to us," he said. "We will by no means back down on the issue of the resistance front, its members, and especially Lebanon."