According to a report by an Iranian state-run newspaper on Thursday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has not dismissed the possibility of discussions with Washington, but emphasized that any talks must be conducted on a basis of “equal terms.” Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed that he had sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing nuclear negotiations, while also signaling that there are two approaches to dealing with Iran: through military action or reaching a diplomatic agreement.
Araqchi stressed in an interview with the Iranian newspaper that engaging in negotiations under maximum pressure from the other side would put Iran in a vulnerable position and lead to unproductive outcomes. He stated, “The other party needs to understand that the strategy of pressure is ineffective — only then can we engage in discussions on equal footing.”
Khamenei cautioned on Wednesday that talks with the Trump administration would only intensify the sanctions and escalate pressure on Iran. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and the subsequent imposition of economic sanctions, Tehran responded by breaching the agreement’s nuclear restrictions.
Despite Trump’s willingness to consider a new nuclear agreement with Tehran, he has resumed the “maximum pressure” campaign in his second term to isolate Iran economically and reduce its oil exports significantly.
While Tehran remains open to a potential nuclear deal, Khamenei has made it clear that Iran will not be coerced into negotiations.
