Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that Tehran is not yet ready to return to negotiations over its nuclear program, emphasizing that time and credible guarantees from the United States are necessary before any re-engagement. He also warned that Iran is prepared to quickly resume uranium enrichment and “make up for lost time.”
“I don’t believe the talks will resume that soon,” Araghchi told CBS News via a translator, though he maintained that Iran hasn’t ruled out diplomatic solutions altogether.
“To consider rejoining negotiations, we must first be assured that the United States will not launch a military strike against us during the process,” he explained. “Given all these factors, we believe more time is still needed.”
Speaking to a US outlet for the first time since Israel halted 12 days of bombings aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, Araghchi claims that the campaign, which included destroying centrifuge facilities and assassinating nuclear scientists, did not achieve its goal.
“One cannot obliterate the technology and science for enrichment through bombings,” Araghchi says. “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.”
He appears to indicate that the military conflict only hardened Iran’s resolve to continue enriching uranium.
Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory,” he says. “We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war, therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment.”
Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, but has long enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, and according to Israel, had recently taken steps toward weaponization.
In conclusion, Iran has made it clear that it is not yet prepared to return to the negotiating table without solid assurances from the United States regarding its security. While diplomacy remains a possibility, Tehran is taking a cautious approach and warns it is fully capable of quickly resuming uranium enrichment to compensate for delays. The path forward hinges on building trust and reducing tensions—conditions that, according to Iran, will take more time to materialize.
