Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani says Tehran will only engage in “genuine” negotiations with the United States and will reject any pressure for “unconditional concessions.”
Speaking on Sunday, Larijani warned that enemies of the Islamic Republic seek to weaken the Iranian nation’s resolve, emphasizing the need to strengthen national unity to counter “endless” demands.
Larijani said on Sunday that the enemy intends to undermine the Iranian nation’s determination, stressing the importance of strengthening national coherence to confront “endless” demands.
He pointed out that the United States seeks to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment and missile development as a precondition for talks.
“We do not say that we oppose negotiations. The Leader [of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] has always emphasized having knowledge of negotiations. However, real negotiations must take place, not ones with predetermined outcomes,” Larijani asserted.
He added that negotiations should happen at the “right time.”
Larijani noted that Iran and the United States were engaged in talks when the Israeli regime launched its war of aggression against the Islamic Republic in mid-June. He said that Washington now seeks to resume negotiations based on pre-established outcomes.
Prior to the US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran and its nuclear facilities, Tehran had held five rounds of discussions with Washington aimed at replacing the 2015 nuclear agreement.
The United States and its European allies have repeatedly insisted that any future deal must address not only Iran’s nuclear program but also its ballistic missile capabilities.
Tehran has consistently rejected such demands, insisting that its military capabilities are not open to negotiation.
On August 28, the European trio invoked the “snapback” mechanism to restore UN sanctions, further complicating diplomacy to resolve tensions.
In an interview with the Qatari news network Al-Jazeera published on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is open to holding talks on its nuclear program but refuses to negotiate over its missile capabilities.
"We are ready to negotiate to address concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program…We will never negotiate our missile program, and no rational actor would accept being disarmed," he added.
