Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that direct talks with the US would be “meaningless,” according to new comments on Sunday. The report from Al-Ain Media in the UAE noted that “this came in response to statements by US President Donald Trump, who expressed his preference for this formula in any potential dialogue with Iran.”
The Iranian diplomat said, “Direct negotiations with a party that constantly threatens the use of force, in violation of the UN Charter, and adopts contradictory positions are meaningless,” Araghchi said in a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. He added, “We remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations.”
Araghchi stressed that Iran, “while committed to dialogue to dispel misunderstandings and resolve differences, remains prepared for all scenarios and will be serious about defending its interests and national sovereignty, just as it is serious about diplomacy and negotiations.”
The new comments come a day after other comments by Iranian officials that said Iran was not interested in conflict but would defend itself if attacked. They also followed Iranian state media highlighting Russia’s backing of Iran in any talks with the US.
“This stance comes at a time when there are growing signs of a renewed escalation between the two sides, amid uncertainty surrounding the fate of the Iranian nuclear issue and warnings of a slide toward open confrontation that could have disastrous repercussions for the region,” Al-Ain noted.
Threats to Iran
US President Donald Trump sent a letter to the Islamic Republic in March offering talks. However, he has also said the US could carry out airstrikes on Iran. “While Washington continues its policy of ‘maximum pressure,’ Tehran responds with its own complex equations, within a complex regional and international context that presents diplomacy with a difficult test,” the report noted.
Tehran rejects the idea of direct negotiations, preferring indirect discussions through intermediaries such as the Sultanate of Oman, the report added.
