Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran needs time to decide whether or not it will resume talks with the US following the 12-day US-Israeli war against Iran, which was launched under the cover of negotiations.
President Trump had previously said that talks could resume as early as this week, a claim Tehran has denied. “I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,” Araghchi told CBS News.
“In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations. And I think with all these considerations, we still need more time,” Araghchi added.
Israel launched the war on June 13, two days before the US and Iran were scheduled to hold another round of talks. The US and Israel engaged in a deception campaign to make it seem like an attack wouldn’t happen as long as negotiations were being held.
Aragchi didn’t rule out resuming negotiations with the US in the future, saying the “doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.” He also said Iran could swiftly resume its nuclear enrichment program if there is “a will” to do so in Iran, despite the US bombing of three of its nuclear facilities.
“One cannot obliterate the technology and science for enrichment through bombings. If there is this will on our part, and the will exists in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time,” Araghchi said.
When asked if Iran would resume enrichment, he said the country’s “peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory. We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war, therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment.”
President Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it does resume uranium enrichment, but doesn’t believe that will happen, as he has claimed the US airstrikes “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities, setting the program back by decades.
Before Israel launched the war on Iran, both US intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had no evidence that Tehran was seeking a nuclear weapon. Iran had also made clear that it was willing to reduce its uranium enrichment levels as part of a deal with the US.
