Speaking on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, Abbas Araghchi said Iran remains open to a negotiated deal but only if the US “puts aside military ambitions” and compensates for past actions.
“There is no military option to deal with Iran’s nuclear program,” he told CGTN. “There should be only a diplomatic solution.”
He added that Iran is ready to re-engage in talks, but only “when they put aside their military ambitions.”
No clear path back to negotiations
Iranian officials say any future negotiations will require what they describe as fair and balanced terms. Araghchi reiterated that Tehran is willing to share evidence of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program but warned that “real intention” is needed from the other side.
“There should also be a real intention for a win-win solution,” he said. “Our nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and we are 100% confident in that.”
“We have no problem to share this confidence with anybody else,” he added. “That can happen only through negotiation.”
The comments follow a warning by European powers that UN sanctions could return if Iran does not rejoin negotiations by late August. Tehran has rejected those calls, insisting Washington was the first to walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal and escalate with military action this year.
Iran’s position has hardened in recent weeks, with officials demanding firm guarantees before any new round of talks. Araghchi reiterated that Iran was committed to the original deal and blamed the current crisis on the US withdrawal.
“Everything we saw today is the result of that withdrawal,” he said, referring to the Trump administration’s 2018 exit from the nuclear agreement. “We remain committed to that [deal],” he said, recalling that the original accord was once “celebrated… as an achievement of diplomacy.”
Iran calls Israel ceasefire fragile
Asked about last month’s war with Israel, Araghchi said the ceasefire that ended the fighting remains fragile. He added Iran is prepared to respond if it collapses, though it is not seeking further confrontation.
“We didn’t want this war,” he said. “But we were prepared for that.”