In an interview with Lebanon’s An-Nahar, Zarif cautioned that “time is not necessarily on our side,” warning that “the coming months may not be more suitable for talks than today.”
He dismissed reports of an imminent war against Iran as speculation, saying the country must “face challenges from a position of strength through national unity, enhanced defense capability, and serious diplomacy.”
Zarif described “real negotiation” as freeing the nation from “the prison of the past” and fully using its national potential.
He emphasized that talks do not mean surrender, explaining, “In the nuclear negotiations, Iran did not give in but managed to secure many of its own demands. True diplomacy is a give-and-take process.”
He also criticized both the former Iranian government and Western powers for missing the opportunity to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, arguing that prolonging talks was a “strategic mistake” that cost Iran a key diplomatic window.
Opponents of negotiations with the United States argue that engaging in talks with a country that attacked Iran in the midst of previous negotiations and reneged on its commitments under the nuclear agreement would be against Iran’s national interests.
