Tehran, November 16, 2025: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Sunday said Washington’s current stance toward Tehran shows no readiness for “equal and fair negotiations,” following recent hints from US President Donald Trump about potential talks.
Araqchi made the remarks during a conference in Tehran titled “International Law Under Assault”, criticizing the US for attempting to extract through diplomacy what it could not achieve through war.
The comments come months after a June attack on Iran, carried out by Israel with US strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Attempts to revive dialogue on Iran’s nuclear programme have since faltered. The US, its European allies, and Israel claim Tehran’s nuclear programme serves as a cover for weapons development, while Iran maintains it is strictly for peaceful purposes.
Prior to the 12-day conflict, Tehran and Washington had engaged in five rounds of indirect nuclear talks, which stalled over contentious issues including domestic uranium enrichment — a key demand of the US.
“Iran will always be prepared to engage in diplomacy, but not negotiations meant for dictation,” Araqchi said. He emphasized that the US cannot expect to achieve through negotiations what it failed to secure militarily.
Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh echoed the criticism, accusing Washington of using negotiations as a “show” to advance wartime objectives rather than seek a genuine resolution.
The remarks signal a continued strain in US-Iran relations, with both sides remaining at an impasse over nuclear and regional security issues.
