Iran has declared that it will not return to nuclear negotiations unless the United States provides firm guarantees that it will refrain from military action during any future talks.
In an interview broadcast early Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that while diplomacy remains possible, Tehran will not sit down at the negotiating table without assurances that it won’t be under threat while doing so.
“Before we decide to return to the negotiating table, we must be sure that Washington will not resume military strikes during the negotiations,” Araghchi stated.
The remarks come amid continued tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the stalled efforts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement that once curbed Iran’s enrichment programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The deal has been unravelling since the U.S. withdrew under President Trump in 2018.
Nuclear Rights and National Resilience
Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position that uranium enrichment is its sovereign right, stressing that while facilities can be bombed, the expertise behind the country’s nuclear programme cannot be erased.
“Our nuclear programme is peaceful and a source of national pride,” he said. “Knowledge and technology cannot be eliminated by bombing.”
Referencing the resilience of the Iranian people, Araghchi invoked the memory of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.
“Our people will not easily give up enrichment. We have demonstrated our ability to defend ourselves, and if attacked, we will continue to do so.”
Diplomacy Still on the Table
Despite the firm rhetoric, the Iranian foreign minister left room for dialogue, stating that talks are not entirely ruled out, but that the process will not be swift.
“Talks will not restart quickly. We need time. But the doors to dialogue remain open.”
The statement reflects a hardened stance from Tehran amid increasing Western concern over its uranium stockpiles and enrichment levels. Western powers have repeatedly warned that time is running out to return to diplomacy, while Israel has not ruled out unilateral action should Iran come closer to weapons capability.
So far, no date has been set for the resumption of formal negotiations.
