Excessive US demands prevented Iran from returning to negotiating table: Araghchi

Araghchi made the remarks upon arrival in Mashhad to attend the second Provincial Diplomacy Conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. The event has brought together Iran’s ambassadors to regional countries, including China and Russia, as well as trade and business representatives to discuss ways to develop economic relations.

He clarified that the Islamic Republic has no intention to engage in talks with Americans as long as they do not abandon their “excessive and maximalist policy.”

Stating that Tehran’s call for diplomacy does not mean ignoring the rights of the Iranian people, Araghchi said Iran had taken actions wherever the interests of Iranians and the country were secured through diplomacy.

Referring to the past negotiations with the US, the top diplomat said they were stopped and did not progress due to the excessive demands of the American side, including its attacks on Iran.

He pointed out that a reasonable solution based on mutual interests was possible in New York, but due to the US’s excessive demands, these negotiations did not come to fruition. “As long as this spirit, approach, and bitter experiences in negotiations with the US exist, it is natural that there is no possibility of re-entering into dialogues.”

In April this year, Iran began a series of indirect talks with the US, mediated by Oman, aimed at resolving concerns over the country’s peaceful nuclear program. As the two sides were on the verge of the sixth round, Iran was attacked by the Israeli regime with America’s green light.

Later, the US itself joined the Israeli war campaign and bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, in violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the principles of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.