Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an op-ed published by The Washington Post on Tuesday that Iran was ready to reach a deal with the US on its nuclear program and said the “ball is now in America’s court.”
Araghchi and President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, will hold negotiations in Oman this Saturday. Trump claims that the negotiations will involve direct talks, while Araghchi insists that they will be indirect, meaning that mediators will pass messages to either side.
Aragchi said the recent engagement between the US and Iran through letters and indirect messages has represented a “genuine attempt to clarify positions and open a window toward diplomacy.”
He said Tehran was willing to reaffirm the pledge it made when the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, was signed, that “under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”
“Ten years after the JCPOA was concluded — and nearly seven years after the United States unilaterally walked away from it — there is no evidence that Iran has violated this commitment,” Aragchi wrote.
The Iranian diplomat noted that US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently reaffirmed that there’s no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon. He said that there may be concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and that Tehran was willing to address them. “We are willing to clarify our peaceful intent and take the necessary measures to allay any possible concern,” he said.
Aragchi also said that Iran was ready to do business with US companies. “Many in Washington portray Iran as a closed country from an economic point of view. The truth is that we are open to welcoming businesses from around the world. It is the US administrations and congressional impediments, not Iran, that have kept American enterprises away from the trillion-dollar opportunity that access to our economy represent,” he said.
Aragchi warned against the recent military threats from Trump and the US military buildup in the Middle East, saying that it sends the signal that the US isn’t really interested in diplomacy. “Mark my words: Iran prefers diplomacy, but it knows how to defend itself. We have never yielded to threats in the past, and we will neither do so now nor in the future. We seek peace, but will never accept submission,” he said.
While Iran is open to diplomacy with the US, Reuters reported that Tehran is skeptical of the US’s intentions. One issue that Iran is concerned about is the fact that US officials have called for a deal that would not only restrict Tehran’s nuclear program but dismantle it altogether and limit its missile production and support for allies in the region.
“Trump wants a new deal: end Iran’s regional influence, dismantle its nuclear program, and halt its missile work. These are unacceptable to Tehran. Our nuclear program cannot be dismantled,” an Iranian official told Reuters. “Our defense is non-negotiable. How can Tehran disarm when Israel has nuclear warheads? Who protects us if Israel or others strike?”
