“Negotiation means dialogue, not dictation, and we reject anything based on dictates,” the top diplomat said during an interview with France 24 in Paris on Wednesday.
He went on to decry a lack of genuine intent on the American side, blaming it for the absence of any underway negotiation track.
“The reason is clear: There is no will in America for real, fair negotiations,” he said, recalling that Iran had already proven its commitment to diplomacy in earlier years.
The official cited the Islamic Republic’s joining the negotiation process that yielded the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world countries, which was ditched by Donald Trump during the latter’s former tenure.
He also referred to the negotiation process that began earlier this year, but was irreversibly disrupted by an imposed and illegal joint Israeli-American war on Iran.
Despite all this, Araghchi stated, Tehran’s stance does equate rejection of diplomacy, but rejection of negotiation shaped by coercion.
“The day the US government announces that it is ready to set aside imposed and excessive demands and pursue a serious, win-win dialogue based on mutual interests, Iran will never say ‘no,’” he added.
“But we don’t see that readiness now. We’re not rushing. We’re waiting, and we will be patient until the US shows real intent instead of inflated demands,” the foreign minister noted.
The interview also touched on regional diplomacy and recent media claims regarding a letter sent by President Masoud Pezeshkian to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Araghchi roundly dismissed allegations that the communication concerned potential Riyadh-mediated talks between Iran and the United States.
He, however, stated that the Islamic Republic “completely trusts” the kingdom in the nuclear issue, asserting that the bilateral ties and confidence between the two sides have been improving over the past years.
The official, meanwhile, reiterated that the challenge faced by Iran on the nuclear file was not a shortage of mediators, but Washington’s approach to negotiations.
Araghchi went on to address the Islamic Republic’s rejection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors’ most recent anti-Iranian resolution, which has demanded rapid and unconditional access to the Iranian nuclear sites hit during the Israeli-American war.
The resolution, he said, has ignored “field realities,” including the attacks and their aftermath.
The official noted that such bombing of civilian nuclear sites was unprecedented, and the agency had no protocol for inspecting bomb-damaged nuclear facilities.
Access to the attacked sites remains dangerous due to unexploded munitions, chemical and radioactive contamination, and the risk of renewed Israeli or US strikes, making a new safety-driven framework essential before inspectors could approach damaged areas, he added.
He called on board members to avoid further escalatory decisions until such new framework was finalized defining the manner of inspection of the affected facilities.
Addressing the issue of the war, Araghchi said the Israeli regime and the United States misread Iran’s level of strength during the war, which saw Iranian missiles strike enemy targets “with rising power and accuracy” in retaliation.
The reprisal, he reminded, forced both Tel Aviv and Washington to request a ceasefire, despite their early demands for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
Araghchi also commented on the case featuring French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris.
The individuals used to be detained in Iran over espionage charges, but are now at the French Embassy in Tehran awaiting exit permits pending exchange with Iranian academic Mahdieh Esfandiari, who was arrested in France in February over her pro-Palestinian activism.
“This exchange has already been negotiated between Iran and France, and an agreement has been reached. Everything on our side is ready. We are now waiting for the legal and judicial processes in both countries to conclude,” the foreign minister continued.
He added that the exchange timeline, though, depended on French judicial schedules, particularly Esfandiari’s upcoming hearing.
“Her court hearing in France is set for mid-January. Depending on the duration of judicial procedures, the process may conclude within one or two months. But at the very latest, the prisoner swap will take place by mid-January, provided the French court finalizes its process.”
