TEHRAN; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has laid out clear conditions for the resumption of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, insisting the United States must guarantee it will not carry out military actions during negotiations.
In a written interview with Le Monde, Araqchi stressed that the U.S. must first demonstrate a genuine change in approach and provide assurances against future strikes on Iran while diplomatic efforts are underway.
He highlighted that Iran remains committed to dialogue founded on dignity, rationality, and mutual respect. “Diplomatic interactions have never ceased. We are currently establishing communication channels through friendly nations and intermediaries,” Araqchi said.
Calling diplomacy a “two-way street,” he pointed out it was the U.S. that withdrew from talks and chose military escalation. “The United States needs to own up to its missteps and show tangible shifts in behavior. Only then can talks proceed. We also require clear assurances that there will be no military offensives during discussions,” he stated.
Araqchi underlined that American strikes had harmed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and asserted Tehran’s right to seek compensation once the damage is fully assessed. “Claiming a program has been destroyed to force a country to abandon peaceful nuclear objectives related to energy, medicine, and agriculture is a grave miscalculation,” he remarked.
He emphasized Iran’s nuclear program—under constant scrutiny by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—is much more than physical facilities. “The unwavering resolve of our nation, which has reached the heights of scientific expertise, cannot be so easily diminished. The IAEA has repeatedly verified there is no diversion toward weapons activity in Iran’s peaceful program,” Araqchi said.
He warned that attacks on IAEA-monitored nuclear sites and the West’s silence amount to assaults on the foundations of international law, undermining the global non-proliferation regime.
Araqchi also cautioned that further sanctions or military threats by the U.S. would derail diplomatic prospects. Addressing proposals by European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal to trigger its sanctions mechanism, he warned it would equate to a de facto military strike and effectively exclude Europe from future dialogue on Iran’s peaceful program.
Reiterating Tehran’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Araqchi stressed Iran has no intention to withdraw but expects the treaty to be applied fairly. “Our uranium enrichment is based on rights under the NPT, consistently for peaceful purposes. Even under pressure and aggression, our policy—rooted in a religious fatwa against weapons of mass destruction—has remained steadfast,” he noted.
Araqchi concluded that Iran sets enrichment levels according to its needs, citing single-digit enrichment mainly for the Tehran Research Reactor to produce vital radiopharmaceuticals.
