Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said the country is not yet ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States, citing lingering concerns about U.S. military intentions. In an interview with CBS News published on Monday, Araghchi stressed that Tehran still needs more time to evaluate the situation following recent escalations in the region.
“The doors of diplomacy will never slam shut,” Araghchi stated. “But in order for us to decide to re-engage, we will have to first ensure that the United States will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations.”
The minister’s remarks come amid renewed tensions between Iran and both the U.S. and Israel. On June 22, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan in a significant escalation. Iran swiftly retaliated by striking the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
These events unfolded during an active military confrontation between Iran and Israel, which began on June 13 when Israel carried out surprise airstrikes on multiple Iranian cities. The violence prompted a cycle of retaliatory strikes, culminating in a ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Tel Aviv on June 24.
The hostilities cast a shadow over the sixth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, which had been scheduled to begin on June 15 in Muscat, Oman. The talks were aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal and discussing the removal of U.S. sanctions. However, the timing of Israel’s offensive and the subsequent U.S. military involvement have significantly complicated diplomatic progress.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that negotiations could resume as early as this week, Araghchi dismissed the claim as premature. “I don’t think the process will restart as quickly as what Trump has claimed,” he said.
With regional tensions still high and mutual distrust persisting, Iran appears cautious about re-entering talks without firm guarantees of non-aggression from Washington. As Araghchi noted, any decision to return to the negotiating table will be made with “serious deliberation and strategic calculation.”
