Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told Japan’s Kyodo News that “ending uranium enrichment is in no way negotiable.” He said Tehran is willing to accept “certain limits” on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, but would not agree to a complete halt in enrichment under any circumstances.
“Iran can be flexible regarding capacity and limits, but stopping enrichment entirely is impossible because it is essential,” he said. “We must rely on ourselves, not on empty promises.” Takht-Ravanchi stressed that as long as Washington insists on “zero enrichment,” no agreement can be reached.
He accused the United States of “pretending to negotiate” in order to “deceive” Iran, adding that before any new talks, Washington must clarify whether it seeks a “win-win negotiation” or intends to impose its will. He also said guarantees are needed to prevent a repeat of past attacks.
Separately, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that “messages” have been sent to Tehran but no final decision has been made about resuming talks. “We will fight where necessary, and negotiate where necessary,” he said, noting that holding talks before the recent 12-day war helped prove Iran’s “legitimacy” in the eyes of domestic and global opinion.
Iran’s leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has previously called for confronting what it calls Washington’s “unreasonable demands.”
Takht-Ravanchi added that compensation for damages from U.S. airstrikes is not currently a precondition for resuming talks, but could be addressed during negotiations.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump warned he would attack Iran again if it was found to be rebuilding its nuclear capabilities.
In 2025, five rounds of nuclear negotiations between the two countries ended without results after Israel attacked Iran. Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Hegseth claimed key parts of Tehran’s nuclear program had been “completely” destroyed, though some U.S. reports suggest only one of Iran’s three nuclear sites was eliminated.
