Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has outlined conditions for holding substantive negotiations with the United States on nuclear issues, saying Tehran is prepared to engage in talks if Washington demonstrates goodwill.
In an interview with NBC News, Araghchi said Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 60% was legal and fell within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He said uranium enrichment could be used for medical purposes and other applications.
Araghchi said the restoration of Iran’s frozen assets and an end to economic sanctions were necessary conditions for negotiations. He added that Tehran was willing to discuss nuclear issues if the US showed genuine willingness to engage diplomatically.
The Iranian foreign minister said the choice between war and negotiations was in US President Donald Trump’s hands. He said Iran was fully prepared for the possibility of renewed conflict and would resist any further aggression, regardless of the consequences.
Araghchi also criticised Washington’s previous approach to negotiations, saying the US had offered talks in 2025 and Iran had accepted, but the US later launched an attack while negotiations were underway.
He said a similar situation occurred in February 2026, when Iran again agreed to a US proposal for negotiations before another attack took place during the talks.
According to Araghchi, the two sides also held three months of negotiations after the latest conflict ended, with Washington offering discussions aimed at reaching an agreement. However, he claimed the US withdrew from the agreement only two weeks after it was signed.
Araghchi said Iran had learned from the previous two wars and had improved its strategy. He added that Tehran remained prepared for both negotiations and potential challenges.
We do not care about the US midterm elections or any other such issues, Araghchi said, adding that Iran’s national interests remained its priority.
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