Iran's FM reaffirms readiness for indirect nuclear talks with US
The IRGC's Deputy Commander for Political Affairs said a US or Israeli attack may cause damage to Iran but stressed that his country's response "will inflict even greater losses on them."
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with his Armenian counterpart in Yerevan, on March 25, 2025 (AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed his country's willingness to engage in indirect negotiations with US President Donald Trump’s administration regarding its nuclear program.
During a phone call with Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on Wednesday, Araghchi stated that Iran is open to "genuine negotiations, from a position of equality, and in an indirect manner," according to a post on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s official Telegram account.
His remarks came after Trump recently warned that he is prepared to bomb Iran if it does not abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that, in response to a letter from Trump, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, had rejected the prospect of direct talks with the US administration under the threat of military action.
Araghchi called on Washington to abandon its approach of "threats, intimidation, and extortion," affirming that Tehran stands ready to respond decisively to any act of aggression.
In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a multinational agreement that restricted Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, reimposing sanctions and warning of potential military action if efforts to reach a new agreement fail.
Attack on nuclear program would compel Iran to reconsider nuclear doctrine
In a related context, the Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) for Political Affairs, Yadollah Javani, underscored that any attack on the country's nuclear program will compel Iran to reconsider its nuclear doctrine and the nature of this program.
Yadollah Javani pointed out that striking nuclear facilities "will not achieve the enemies’ goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities; rather, it will usher in a new phase."
He acknowledged that a US or Israeli attack may cause damage to Iran but underlined that his country's response "will inflict even greater losses on them."
Javani's remarks echoed those of Ali Larijani, senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, who warned that any US or Israeli attack on Iran under the pretext of its nuclear program would force Tehran to move toward producing nuclear weapons.
Read more: Trump weighs Iran’s offer for indirect nuclear talks: Axios