Washington’s current approach toward Tehran does not indicate any readiness for “equal and fair negotiations”, Iran’s foreign minister said on Sunday, after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted last week at potential discussions.
“The U.S. cannot expect to gain what it couldn’t in war through negotiations,” FM Abbas Araqchi said during a Tehran conference named “international law under assault.”
“Iran will always be prepared to engage in diplomacy, but not negotiations meant for dictation,” he added.
During the same conference, deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh accused Washington of pursuing its wartime goals with “negotiations as a show”.
Following the Zionist forces’ attack on Iran in June, which was joined by U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, attempts at renewing dialogue on Tehran’s nuclear programme have failed.
Tehran and Washington underwent five rounds of indirect nuclear talks prior to the 12-days-war, but faced obstacles such as the issue of domestic uranium enrichment.
Answering a question from an Associated Press journalist visiting Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country.
“There is no undeclared nuclear enrichment in Iran. All of our facilities are under the safeguards and monitoring” of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Araghchi said. “There is no enrichment right now because our facilities — our enrichment facilities — have been attacked.”
Asked what it would take for Iran to continue negotiations with the US and others, Araghchi said that Iran’s message on its nuclear program remains “clear.”
“Iran’s right for enrichment, for peaceful use of nuclear technology, including enrichment, is undeniable,” the foreign minister continued. “We have this right and we continue to exercise that and we hope that the international community, including the United States, recognize our rights and understand that this is an inalienable right of Iran and we would never give up our rights.”
