Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran is willing to engage in "fair and just" nuclear talks with the United States but will not accept dictation or negotiate over its missile and defensive capabilities. He stressed that talks must be meaningful, free from threats, and preceded by agreement on format, venue and agenda. The comments follow renewed U.S. pressure and warnings from President Trump, while Turkey has offered to mediate to reduce regional tensions.
Iran Open To 'Fair And Just' Nuclear Talks With U.S. But Rejects Dictation, Won’t Negotiate Missiles — FM
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday. - Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu/Getty Images
Iran signaled readiness to participate in "fair and just" nuclear talks with the United States while firmly rejecting any form of outside dictation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday during a visit to Istanbul.
Speaking alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Araghchi emphasized that Tehran would engage only in diplomatic processes that are "meaningful, logical and fair." He made clear that no meeting with U.S. officials has been scheduled and that any talks "cannot be conducted under threat."
"Under no circumstances will we accept dictation or imposition," Araghchi said. "Iran is ready to participate in any diplomatic process that is meaningful, logical and fair."
Araghchi also ruled out negotiations over what he described as Iran's "defensive capabilities," explicitly including its missile programme. "I believe no country is prepared to compromise on its own security or its national defence," he said.
U.S. Pressure And Warnings
The remarks followed renewed pressure from Washington. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to accept what he described as an "equitable" nuclear deal or face the possibility of another U.S. military strike. Trump said Thursday that he has been in contact with Iranian leaders and plans further conversations.
"I have had and I am planning on it," Trump said when asked about talks with Tehran. "We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn't have to use them."
The president did not identify the officials he spoke with but summarized his message: "Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters." Recent anti-government protests in Iran were met with a severe crackdown; thousands of demonstrators were reportedly killed, according to news reports.
Conditions For Talks And Regional Diplomacy
Araghchi reiterated that Iran remains "ready to re-enter the nuclear negotiations" but said certain prerequisites must be settled in advance — including agreement on the format, venue and agenda of any discussions.
Turkey offered to play a facilitating role to help defuse tensions between Iran and the United States. The Turkish presidency said the proposal came during a call between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, with both leaders discussing bilateral ties and escalating military tensions in the region.
On arrival in Istanbul, Araghchi acknowledged that regional issues are "extremely serious" and called for closer consultations and coordinated positions among affected countries.
Reporting contributions by CNN's Gul Tuysuz and Kevin Liptak.
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