SAEDNEWS: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says he is still confident that a deal with the United States is achievable given the two sides engage in a 'fair and just' nuclear talks.
According to SAEDNEWS, In an interview with the American network CNN on Sunday, Araghchi addressed several issues related to Iran-US hostilities, including recent military threats by the Trump administration and Tehran's warnings against any escalation in the region.
“Unfortunately, we have lost our trust [in] the US as a negotiating partner,” he said, while describing the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington through friendly regional countries as “fruitful.” Araghchi cited Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 landmark deal and attacks on Iran by Israel, followed by the US last year, as some of the reasons behind this loss of trust.
Responding to a question about whether the two sides would engage in direct or indirect talks, the senior diplomat emphasized the importance of addressing the “substance of negotiations” rather than their form.
Stating that Iran fully agrees with President Trump's call for a world without nuclear weapons, he said Tehran can guarantee that its nuclear program will remain peaceful indefinitely. In return, he stressed, Iran expects sanctions to be lifted and its right to continue nuclear enrichment for peaceful purposes to be respected.
He suggested that if the US negotiating team acts on Trump’s statements, reaching an agreement is possible. He also warned that some elements and countries are attempting to draw the US into a war for their own interests, but expressed confidence that Trump is wise enough to make the right decision.
On questions regarding Iran’s missile arsenal and support for regional resistance groups, Araghchi said the focus should remain on Iran’s nuclear program. “Let’s not talk about impossible things,” he said, “and not lose the opportunity to achieve a fair and equitable deal, which I believe is achievable even in a short period of time.”
Araghchi added that Iran is not concerned about war and is fully prepared to respond to any attack, more decisively than during the 12-day conflict last June. He warned that such a conflict could escalate beyond Iran’s borders.
He further noted that war “would be a disaster for everybody,” as US bases across the region could become targets for Iran’s military, which demonstrated its missile capabilities in response to Israeli aggression last year.
On the recent foreign-backed unrest, Araghchi said “terrorist elements” received orders from abroad to incite chaos and bloodshed in the streets. “We consider those three days [January 10-12] as a continuation of the 12-day war, which was an operation led by Mossad from outside, and of course, we crushed that operation,” he explained.
