Araghchi confirms indirect nuclear talks with US, discussions with E3
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Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi says indirect nuclear talks with the US are continuing through intermediaries, while discussions with the European Troika and IAEA are also underway amid strained relations.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi listens to a question in a joint press briefing with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Saturday that talks with the United States are continuing through intermediaries regarding the nuclear program.
Araghchi made clear that Tehran will not return to the same talks held in the past, pointing to “a new reality that requires new mechanisms that we are working to formulate.”
“When Washington shows the necessary will and respect for negotiations, we will negotiate with them. We are ready for that,” he said.
On another note, Iran’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reza Najafi, announced that Tehran and the Agency have held a third round of technical negotiations.
According to Najafi, the talks are aimed at establishing a new framework for cooperation following recent attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities. He noted that discussions remain ongoing and are focused on ensuring the continuity of Iran–IAEA engagement despite the “aggression” targeting the country’s nuclear infrastructure.
No further details were provided on the scope of the proposed framework or the timetable for future meetings.
His statement echoes that of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who had stated that the path to negotiations with the United States remains open, despite ongoing diplomatic stagnation.
In a post on X, Larijani emphasized that “the path to negotiations with the United States is not closed,” stressing that Iran "pursues rational negotiations.”
New conditions for negotiations after aggression
The Iranian diplomat stressed that the political and security landscape has shifted, citing “the aggression, the assassination of martyrs, and the crimes committed against the country” as reasons for a different approach.
According to Araghchi, any future engagement with Washington must be based on mutual respect and new frameworks.
Turning to Europe, Araghchi confirmed that discussions with the European Troika are still underway. He said he had recently held direct talks with the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
However, he criticized the European parties for moving toward activating the snapback mechanism, calling it a grave mistake.
Araghchi also addressed ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noting that relations had been strained following the aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.
He stressed that these relations “will not return to what they were,” but added that talks with the agency are progressing. Tehran, he explained, is close to reaching an agreement on a new cooperation framework.
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