Iran has indicated a willingness to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided that it is treated with “dignity and respect.” In a statement made at a security conference on November 16 in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that intermediaries had approached Tehran with requests to reopen talks with Washington. The conference, titled "International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Self-Defence," was hosted by Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies, and included papers from local analysts offering Tehran’s perspective on recent international conflicts, including the 12-day war in June.
Araghchi emphasised that diplomacy, not force, was the only viable solution to the ongoing tensions, but suggested that it was the United States and its allies that had persistently sought to impose their will during negotiations. He further stated that if the US were to engage with Iran in a respectful manner, Iran would respond accordingly.
Despite this willingness to engage, the prospect of resumed talks appears remote. Iranian officials continue to insist that the United States and its allies are fixated on a confrontational approach. Araghchi noted that the administration of former US President Donald Trump had pushed for “maximalist demands” during previous rounds of talks, which Iran argues left little room for meaningful negotiation.
Regional players such as Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia are attempting to facilitate the restart of dialogue. Iranian officials are, however, unhappy that they have not yet received coherent offers from Washington, either directly or through back channels. The obvious distrust between the two sides continues to hinder any meaningful progress toward negotiations.
Iran remains firm in its stance on nuclear enrichment, despite the recent attacks on its nuclear facilities. Araghchi confirmed that, currently, Iran is not engaged in any uranium enrichment due to the damage sustained in the attacks on its facilities. However, Iran insists on its “inalienable right” to enrich uranium domestically and has vowed never to abandon this position. Iranian officials have also hinted at the possibility of escalation should European powers—France, the United Kingdom, and Germany—push for a new resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board, potentially further isolating Tehran. The IAEA has been heavily criticised by Iran for its perceived bias and failure to condemn the attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, which Iran argues were violations of international law.
The current crisis has come following the Israeli airstrikes, supported by the US, on key Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz in June. The strikes and especially the US involvement, were something of an anti-climax since they came after five rounds of nuclear talks with Iran, mediated by Oman. Iran says the attacks against the nuclear sites and even the wider Israeli attack on Iran, which led to the death of several key scientists and military commanders, have complicated the chances for restoring trust between the two countries.
Despite the severe damage to its nuclear infrastructure, Iran claims that the conflict demonstrated the futility of resolving such issues using force. Asserting that their destroyed nuclear facilities will be rebuilt, Iranian officials said the country would not be forced into abandoning its nuclear programme. Nor will it be dictated to by foreign powers.
“There is no undeclared nuclear enrichment in Iran. All of our facilities are under the safeguards and monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” said Araghchi. “There is no enrichment right now because our facilities—our enrichment facilities—have been attacked.”
