FM says Iran to resume nuclear talks once US ready for ‘fair’ dialogue
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was ready to sit down for fresh talks with the United States over its nuclear program once the latter was prepared for “fair and just” negotiations.
Araghchi’s comments made in an interview with Al Jazeera came after US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that Tehran had contacted Washington to express willingness for the resumption of nuclear talks and that a meeting was being organized with Iranian authorities.
“We are ready for nuclear negotiations, provided that they are held without threats or diktats” the top diplomat said, according to IRNA which published a Persian transition of his remarks on Tuesday.
“However, we do not believe that Washington is ready for fair and just negotiations, and when the conditions are met, we will seriously consider them,” he added.
Araghchi further noted that Iran was “studying ideas” it had received from the US to recommence nuclear negotiations but pointed out that chances of striking a deal would be slim due to US threats.
“There is no possibility of reconciling the ideas presented by Washington and the threats posed against our country,” he said.
Talks between Iran and the US have been stalled since Israel launched a military aggression against the Islamic Republic on June 13 with a green light from Washington.
The strikes, targeting Iranian military and civilian infrastructure, took place as Tehran and Washington were about to hold a sixth round of negotiations to clinch a deal over Iran’s nuclear program.
The US joined the Israeli blitz, which lasted for 12 days, by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Araghchi warned of efforts by “some,” without naming them, to drag the US into a new war with Iran to serve the Israeli interests but noted that Tehran would be braced for it if Washington was to “revisit the military option” it had already tried.
“Our military preparedness is much broader and greater than during the recent war,” he said in reference to the June aggression.