Iran has expressed readiness to return to nuclear negotiations with the United States, but only if it receives firm assurances that no further military attacks will be launched against it, according to state media reports.
Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that Iran remains open to dialogue regarding its nuclear program. However, he stressed that any resumption of talks must come with guarantees to prevent escalation into conflict.
“There must be a solid assurance that future negotiations will not lead to war,” Araghchi said, referencing recent military actions — including a 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear and military sites and a June 22 U.S. airstrike. He warned that such attacks have significantly complicated the prospects for diplomatic solutions.
In response to the attacks, Iran suspended its cooperation with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), prompting the withdrawal of inspectors from the country. Araghchi noted that any future collaboration with the agency would now be reviewed “case by case” in line with national interests and security concerns.
“Any inspections must consider both the safety of the inspectors and Iran’s own security,” he added, citing risks such as unexploded war munitions and potential radioactive contamination.
Araghchi reiterated Iran’s commitment to continue enriching uranium domestically — a core sticking point in the dispute. The U.S., under former President Donald Trump, had insisted that Iran halt enrichment entirely. Meanwhile, Israel has defended its strikes, claiming Iran was nearing nuclear weapons capability.
U.S. intelligence and the IAEA have maintained that Iran has not operated an organized nuclear weapons program since 2003, although its enrichment of uranium up to 60% purity brings it technically close to weapons-grade levels.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian added in an interview published Monday that the recent U.S. airstrikes had caused extensive damage to nuclear facilities, to the extent that Iranian authorities have yet to fully assess the destruction.
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