In response to US President Donald Trump’s remarks claiming that negotiations will take place next week and that an agreement will be reached, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, told Iranian state television: “I say, don’t take such comments seriously.”
Araqchi stressed: “No agreement has been reached to resume negotiations. I clearly say that no promise or arrangement has been made, and no talks have taken place to start over.”
He added: “Whether we return to direct negotiations with the United States or not is a specific matter that is currently under review. It depends on how our interests dictate.”
Araqchi continued: “From the early days of the twelve-day war, European countries called for restraint and a return to diplomacy. We told them our position was clear: we were in the middle of diplomatic efforts when the war started.”
He stated: “The Zionist regime, out of desperation, was forced to halt its aggression. And based on the notifications we had, once they stopped, we also refrained from continuing our actions.”
Regarding the ceasefire violations by Israel, Araqchi said: “I told one of the European foreign ministers very clearly: Tell the Zionist regime that Iran is not Lebanon. If they take any action, Iran will immediately respond in kind.”
In another part of his remarks, he addressed the US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, stating: “Our friends in the Atomic Energy Organization are currently assessing the damage, and I must say it has not been minor. Serious harm has been inflicted on our facilities, and we are now reviewing our policies.”
He added: “The three European countries (France, Germany and the UK) are still members of the JCPOA. These countries cannot talk about ‘zero enrichment’ in Iran, since enrichment is recognized in the JCPOA. They insist on maintaining their membership status in order to potentially use the snapback mechanism and reimpose sanctions on Iran.”
Araqchi stressed: “I told the three European countries that the greatest historical mistake they could make would be to trigger the snapback mechanism — if they do so, they will effectively end their own role.”
The Iranian Foreign Minister also stated:
“The Parliament’s plan to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is binding for Iran. The reason is clear: the report prepared by Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, laid the groundwork for a resolution pushed by the Europeans at the Board of Governors, which we believe paved the way for Israel’s aggression.”
He concluded: “At present, we have no decision to accept Mr. Grossi personally, and regarding inspectors, if they comply with the law passed by Parliament, then their case must be reviewed.”
