Iran open to talks with US, but on its own terms
Photo: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Getty Images)
Iran is prepared to hold negotiations with the United States over a new nuclear agreement, but only in an indirect format at this stage, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an interview with Fox News.
The Iranian foreign minister said he is open to dialogue with the United States if Washington is genuinely seeking a mutually beneficial solution.
"We are ready to do any confidence-building measure needed to prove that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever, and Iran would never go for nuclear weapons," Araghchi stated.
He added that in exchange for resuming talks, Tehran expects the United States to lift its sanctions.
"If they are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them. We cannot start these negotiations in a direct way. We still prefer for indirect negotiations,” the Iranian foreign minister stated.
Indirect talks are a form of diplomatic or political communication where the parties do not speak directly to one another but instead exchange messages or proposals through an intermediary. This approach is often used when the sides conflict, do not recognize each other, or are in a state of war or deep political hostility.
Iran's nuclear program
In 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal with the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Under the agreement, Tehran committed to limiting its nuclear program and refraining from developing nuclear weapons. In return, Western countries lifted international sanctions against Iran.
However, during his first term as US president (2017–2021), Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reinstated sanctions on Tehran.
At the start of his second term in March this year, Trump offered Iran a new "nuclear deal," giving Tehran 60 days to respond.
But Iran delayed negotiations. After the deadline passed, on June 22, US Air Force strikes targeted three key facilities tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
Following the strikes, Washington claimed the Iranian nuclear infrastructure had been destroyed, though media reports suggested some facilities remained intact.
At the end of June, Trump said he did not rule out easing sanctions against Iran.
At the same time, the US president warned Tehran against resuming its nuclear program, stating that any new facilities would also be destroyed.
For more on possible scenarios for restarting nuclear talks with Iran, read our full analysis.
