Iran sends mixed signals on willingness to negotiate nuclear deal

Country's UN mission says if negotiations were to focus on militarisation of atomic programme, discussions may be considered

People wave flags next to an Iranian missile on display in Tehran. Wana / Reuters

Iran on Monday said it would not negotiate under “pressure and intimidation” as US President Donald Trump intensifies his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran.

Iran's mission to the UN had said on Sunday that it might consider a request from Mr Trump to restart talks with the US if negotiations were focused on the militarisation of its nuclear programme.

“If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-a-vis any potential militarisation of Iran’s nuclear programme, such discussions may be subject to consideration,” Iran's mission to the UN said in a post on X. “However, should the aim be the dismantlement of Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme to claim that what [former US president Barack] Obama failed to achieve has now been accomplished, such negotiations will never take place.”

But on Monday, the country's top diplomat appeared to close the door on such discussions, saying Tehran's nuclear programme was entirely peaceful and there was no such thing as “potential militarisation”.

“We will not negotiate under pressure and intimidation. We will not even consider it, no matter what the subject may be,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.

Mr Araghchi's statement came after the US said it had decided not to renew Iraq's sanctions waiver to import electricity from its neighbour to “ensure we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief”.

“We are now consulting with the E3 – and separately with Russia and China – on equal footing and mutual respect,” Mr Araghchi said.

Iran's UN mission's statement comes after Mr Trump announced he had sent a letter to Iran in which he said he wants to negotiate a new nuclear deal.

“I've written them a letter saying: 'I hope you're going to negotiate', because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing for them,” he told Fox Business on Friday.

On Saturday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected talks with the US, which he said would be aimed at restricting the country's missile programme.

Mr Khamenei said US demands would be military and related to the regional influence of Iran, and that such talks would not solve problems between Tehran and Washington.

Mr Araghchi also rejected the idea, telling AFP on the sidelines of a Organisation of Islamic Co-operation meeting in Saudi Arabia that Tehran would not enter any direct negotiations with the US as long as Washington continues its “maximum pressure” policy.

“But it doesn't mean that, regarding our nuclear programme, we will not negotiate with other parties. We are talking to the three European countries,” he said.

The original nuclear deal put limits on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Mr Trump, who withdrew the US from the deal in 2018, has instituted a maximum pressure campaign against Iran, which he implemented during his first term in the White House.