Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has rejected the idea of holding direct negotiations with the United States as long as the “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran is in place, saying Washington has agreed to hold indirect negotiations.
Speaking at a meeting with Algerian elites and media figures in Algiers on Tuesday, Araqchi said bilateral talks should be conducted on equal footing, not under maximum pressure and military threats.
“As long as maximum pressure and threats exist, there is no ground for fair negotiations, and we will not hold direct negotiations,” he said.
However, he hastened to add, the path to diplomacy is not closed, and “we have announced that we can negotiate indirectly with the United States.”
Early on Tuesday, Araqchi announced via X that high-level “indirect” negotiations are slated to be held in Oman on Saturday between Tehran and Washington.
On March 7, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had sent a letter to Iran calling for nuclear negotiations. Tehran responded to the letter later that month, saying it rejects direct talks with Washington over its contradictory and hostile approach but remains open to indirect negotiations.
Tensions have skyrocketed between the two countries in recent weeks, especially after Trump warned that there would be “bombing” against Iran if it refused to negotiate with the United States. On Monday, the U.S. president threatened once again that if the talks were unsuccessful, “Iran is going to be in great danger.”
In his Tuesday meeting, Araqchi asserted that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not want war, but if necessary, “it knows how to defend itself well.”
“At least the Americans know very well how far the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defense power can reach,” he said.
He also made clear that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons and any claims otherwise are “baseless.”
“We are confident that our nuclear program is peaceful and we are ready to assuage any concerns in this regard through diplomacy,” the foreign minister added.
Source: IRNA
