In an interview with Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Saeed Khatibzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister and head of Iran’s Political and International Studies Center, said the activation of the “snapback” mechanism by European states would be a “miscalculated move” and would strip Europe of its remaining influence as a mediator.
“Pressuring Iran is a mistake that will only push us toward tougher decisions,” Khatibzadeh said, emphasizing that negotiations can only resume if they are “results-oriented” and hostilities are halted during talks.
He revealed that, until just hours before the attack in June, Tehran had exchanged messages with US envoy Steve Witkoff, suggesting that military operations were planned in parallel with diplomatic engagement.
Khatibzadeh reiterated Iran’s right to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), warning that any US insistence on “zero enrichment” would meet “strong resistance.”
“Any future talks will be armed negotiations,” he said, highlighting deep mistrust toward Washington after years of failed agreements and escalating tensions.
