Foreign Minister Araghchi on Future Negotiations With the United States

In an interview with Al Jazeera Television, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed rumored U.S. demands as excessive, and reiterated Iran’s desire to revive a “formula” similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the basis for future negotiations with Washington. However, today’s Iran is not the Iran of 2015, and there is little indication that the United States either prioritizes negotiations with Iran or is willing to accept an agreement resembling the JCPOA.

• November 3: The centrist outlet Asr-e Iran published a summary of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments to Al Jazeera Television:
  • “Zero enrichment is impossible. Enrichment is the achievement of Iranian scientists, and we worked for years to attain it – our scientists were even assassinated in the past. Now that we have already fought a war over this enrichment – 12 days of war imposed on us, with more than 1,000 martyrs – what reason would we have to accept zero enrichment? What they could not achieve through war, they cannot achieve through negotiation.”
  • “As for the missile issue, if you ask anyone rational, they will tell you that no sane people would disarm themselves. Why should we negotiate over our missiles when this very 12-day war proved that the defense of Iran depends on them, and our missiles played a vital role in defending the country?”
  • “Therefore, these unreasonable demands will lead nowhere. Regarding direct or indirect negotiations, as has been mentioned, in international relations there is no difference between the two. The United States itself has, under various circumstances, acted as a mediator in talks between other countries. So, this argument over whether negotiations should be direct or indirect is merely an excuse on America’s part.”
  • “I repeat once again: Based on the formula we agreed upon in 2015, mutual confidence building regarding the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions remains entirely feasible.”

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