Iranian FM: Indirect talks with US ensure real negotiation

Shafaq News/ Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out direct negotiations with the United States but confirmed that Tehran and Washington will engage in indirect talks in Oman this Saturday.

Araghchi, according to Mehr News Agency, called the upcoming meeting “an opportunity and a test” for Washington, saying indirect dialogue offers a path to “real and effective” engagement.

The format of the talks was not the main issue, and “negotiations in which one side imposes its views through pressure are, in fact, dictation — and we reject this approach,” he stated.

Dismissing any preconditions for the upcoming talks, Araghchi announced, “No preconditions are acceptable to us,” pointing out that Iran’s goals remain unchanged: the lifting of US sanctions and the protection of Iranian rights.

The upcoming negotiations follow a letter sent by US President Donald Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an attempt to initiate direct talks with Tehran. However, Khamenei dismissed the overture in February, saying negotiations with Trump’s administration were neither “intelligent, wise, nor honorable.”

Years of indirect diplomacy under former President Joe Biden failed to produce a breakthrough, while Iran has continued to expand its nuclear program, enriching uranium to 60% purity — just short of weapons-grade levels. Both the US and Israel have warned of potential military action, as Iranian officials increasingly signal that pursuing a nuclear weapon remains an option.

The 2015 nuclear deal, which lifted international sanctions in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear activities, collapsed after Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. In his current term, Trump has reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign, tightening economic restrictions and accusing Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb — a charge Tehran denies, while expressing readiness to return to the agreement.