TEHRAN – Addressing the 2018 U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has made it clear that Tehran would not engage in direct nuclear negotiations with the U.S. until Washington returns to the deal and clarifies its policies.

“After the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA, the Europeans held negotiations with Washington. Our position remains unchanged: we will not negotiate directly with the U.S. on the nuclear issue until they rejoin the JCPOA and demonstrate their commitment,” he asserted during a televised interview on Tuesday.

He also emphasized the country’s steadfast commitment to diplomacy and its peaceful nuclear energy program.

‘Ready for talks, firm on rights in nuclear negotiations’

Araghchi reiterated that Iran has never abandoned the negotiation table, underscoring the country’s confidence in the non-military nature of its nuclear activities.  

“In the nuclear issue, we never left the negotiation table because we have always been confident in the peaceful nature of our nuclear program,” Araghchi stated.  

While reaffirming Iran’s openness to dialogue, Araghchi acknowledged that some of the excessive demands from other parties had complicated the negotiation process. Despite these obstacles, he emphasized that Iran’s primary objective remains the resumption of nuclear negotiations.  

“Our main demand is to find a path that leads to the resumption of constructive talks,” he said.  

Araghchi described recent discussions with the European trio—the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—as promising. These talks, attended by senior Iranian diplomats Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi, alongside European Union foreign policy chief Enrique Mora and other European representatives, showed signs of progress.  

“The talks with the Europeans were essentially positive,” Araghchi said. “We observed a serious commitment from their side and a desire to resolve the issue through dialogue.”  

While welcoming negotiations, Araghchi emphasized Iran’s strategy of resilience against sanctions. Echoing the guidance of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, he stressed the importance of neutralizing the impact of U.S. and European sanctions by relying on domestic capabilities.  

“We do not abandon the course of negotiations, but neither are we dependent on it. Our focus is on overcoming sanctions through self-reliance and domestic strength,” Araghchi said.  

He further underlined Iran’s insistence on participating in negotiations that uphold the nation’s dignity and honor.  

Araghchi also discussed the involvement of Russia and China in the nuclear talks, noting that despite tensions between Europe and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, both countries remain active participants in discussions on Iran’s nuclear program.  

“The issue of Ukraine has created some divisions between Europe and Russia, but both Russia and China continue to play a role in the nuclear issue,” he explained.