TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has resolutely rejected U.S. attempts to impose negotiations under its “maximum pressure” campaign, describing American demands as coercive diktats incompatible with sovereign diplomacy.

In a Monday statement on X, Araghchi declared, “We will NOT negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be,” emphasizing that dialogue must be rooted in mutual respect, not threats.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions as the U.S. escalates its hostile rhetoric, with President Donald Trump claiming in a recent Fox News interview that Iran could only be “handled” through military action or a unilateral nuclear deal.

Araghchi dismissed such posturing as “bullying,” stressing that Iran’s nuclear program — a cornerstone of its scientific sovereignty — remains irrevocably peaceful.

“There is fundamentally no such thing as its ‘potential militarization,’” he stated, echoing the country’s decades-long commitment to non-proliferation under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

Earlier on Saturday, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei reinforced Tehran’s stance in a speech addressing the country’s senior officials, asserting that Western powers’ insistence on talks aims not to resolve disputes but to extract concessions.

“The expectations of bullying states will never be accepted,” he said, condemning U.S. efforts to frame negotiations as a zero-sum game.

This follows the leader’s February warning against “unwise, unintelligent, and dishonorable” engagement with Washington, a principle now enshrined in Iran’s foreign policy. 

Diplomacy on equal footing

Contrary to U.S. unilateralism, Araghchi highlighted ongoing consultations with the European troika (France, Germany, Britain), Russia, and China, conducted “on equal footing and mutual respect.”

These talks, he explained, seek to address concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities through transparency measures in exchange for the lifting of “unlawful sanctions.”

However, he cautioned that dialogue must not serve as a pretext for undermining Iran’s rights. “If the aim is to dismantle our peaceful program, such negotiations will never take place,” Iran’s UN mission warned Sunday, alluding to U.S. attempts to resurrect Obama-era pressures.

“Negotiation is not submission,” Araghchi affirmed, framing diplomacy as a partnership among equals.

A history of broken promises

The collapse of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) looms large in Tehran’s calculus.

After Trump abandoned the multilateral accord in 2018, European signatories failed to counter U.S. sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its commitments gradually.

Tehran has noted that these steps were pre-announced and clear, reflecting measured resistance to economic warfare.

Meanwhile, Trump’s recent assertions about pursuing a “deal” echo his 2018–2020 approach, which blended sanctions with performative gestures masquerading as diplomacy. This included a failed 2019 attempt involving a letter delivered by Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed as undeserving of a reply.

 Escalating sanctions, escalating resolve

The Trump administration’s latest threats have proved ineffective against Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently vowed to “shut down Iran’s oil sector and drone manufacturing” while severing access to global finance.

Furthermore, Trump’s recent unsent letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, threatening military action in the event of failed negotiations, echoes the combative stance of figures like National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (“all options on the table”) and the Israeli regime’s convicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, who has pledged to “finish the job” with U.S. support.

Such measures exemplify the U.S. preference for coercion over cooperation.