Tehran - BORNA - Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, detailed Iran's stances on negotiations with the US, the Gaza crisis, regional relations, and cooperation with Russia and China in an exclusive interview with the English publication, The Economist. He stressed that Iran has no positive or reliable experience negotiating with the Trump administration, and the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the recent attacks by the Zionist regime, supported by Washington, have destroyed the atmosphere of trust.
Araghchi said Iran is ready for an agreement but will only accept a "fair and balanced" one, and rejects any dictation of US demands. He added that the US has repeatedly been unable to make decisions during negotiations in New York, which has exacerbated this distrust.
He clarified that "zero enrichment" is impossible and this achievement is tied to the blood of Iranian scientists. At the same time, Iran does not seek nuclear weapons and is ready for transparency and international monitoring, provided a new framework for inspecting damaged facilities is created.
Araghchi identified Iran as the main player in the region and said the policy of neighborliness with the Persian Gulf and Middle Eastern countries has been successful. He referred to confidence-building with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries, emphasizing that the real threat in the region is Israel, not Iran.
Regarding Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza and the Security Council resolution, the Iranian Foreign Minister said Iran welcomes any action that stops the genocide and killing of Palestinians, but is concerned that the Palestinian right to self-determination has been weakened in the resolution.
He recalled that Iran and Russia have signed a strategic partnership agreement, and military cooperation between the two countries is defensive in nature. Araghchi emphasized that Iran continues to support Ukraine's territorial integrity. He also stated that Western behavior has led Tehran to gravitate more towards the East.
Araghchi named foreign interference as the main source of problems in the Middle East and expressed his main message to Trump as: "Let the countries of this region decide for themselves."
The Full Text of The Economist's Interview with Araghchi
Reporter: Can we start with a question about Donald Trump? He has said that it is possible to make a deal between the United States and Iran. So why aren't you going for it and making a deal with Donald Trump now?
Araghchi: Well, we have done so several times. Unfortunately, we don't have any good experience negotiating with the United States, particularly with the current administration. You all remember that in 2015, we negotiated a very important deal called the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). After more than two years of negotiation, we finally reached an agreement that was celebrated all over the world as an achievement for diplomacy. Iran started implementing its commitments in the best way, and multiple reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Iran's full adherence to the deal. But unfortunately, the United States, during the first term of the Trump administration, withdrew from the deal without any reason or justification. That was a very bad experience for us. Then, this year, in 2025, we entered into negotiation again. We had five rounds of negotiation with the US administration and we were very close to an agreement. I don't intend to go into details, but if necessary, I will explain them one day. So we had five rounds of dialogue, and we set the sixth round for June 15th this year. But two days before that, the Israelis attacked us. In fact, they attacked the negotiation table, and this was done with the support of the United States. There is no doubt about it.
Reporter: Are you sure?
Araghchi: Yes. As Trump himself confessed a few days ago. Trump posted tweets in the middle of those conflicts, calling for the "unconditional surrender" of Iran. He told the people of Tehran, "Evacuate Tehran." So he was openly guiding those attacks, and a few days ago, he also confessed that everything was planned and coordinated beforehand. Then, we entered into negotiations again in New York to prevent the activation of the snapback mechanism. We were faced with this way of negotiation by the United States. So we don't even have a single positive and reliable experience of negotiation with the US.
Reporter: But in this case, Donald Trump has personally stepped forward. He has said that he wants to be the president who makes the deal with Iran. Why aren't you taking him seriously now, after the recent attack, and saying, "Come to Tehran, let's make a deal"?
Araghchi: First of all, I say we don't have any good experience negotiating with his administration. Secondly, yes, we agree on a deal, but a fair and balanced deal. The problem is that when Americans talk about a deal, they actually want to dictate their demands, and this is what we experienced just two months ago in New York. We are ready to negotiate, but not to be dictated to. We are ready for a deal, but for a fair and balanced deal, not a unilateral one. This is the problem. The moment we conclude that the US has changed its approach and is ready for a real negotiation and a fair and balanced deal instead of dictation, we will be ready too. Then we can consider it.
Reporter: I know you don't want to go into the details of your negotiations with Steve Witkoff, but the main disagreement is whether Iran will enrich uranium or not. Is your position still the same?
Araghchi: You know, at that time, the US wanted "zero enrichment." I made it clear to Steve Witkoff that this is impossible. Enrichment has been very costly for us for over 20 years. We were sanctioned because of it. Enrichment is a very valuable achievement of our own scientists. We have important enrichment facilities and related developments. We built them ourselves, we obtained them ourselves, and we were sanctioned for more than 20 years because of this issue. Our scientists were assassinated. Therefore, this issue is tied to the blood of our scientists, even before this war. Now we have had 12 days of very widespread war, and over a thousand Iranians have been killed as a result. So there is no way to abandon enrichment. This is a fact. I was in the negotiations to explain exactly this. Steve Witkoff insisted on zero enrichment. I said: Look, zero enrichment is impossible. But zero nuclear weapons is possible and achievable. If you want to move towards zero weapons, we have an agreement. If you want zero enrichment, we don't have an agreement. Then we tried to be creative and find a compromise solution. At least three times we reached a good and creative solution that could satisfy both sides. But unfortunately, they were unable to finalize it.
Reporter: You said that Israel attacked the negotiation table. Does this mean that you still hope to reach an agreement with the Trump administration after the case is closed in the UN Security Council?
Araghchi: Look, one of the solutions that was likely to be agreed upon in the sixth round was that if we reached an agreement with the US, there would be no need to refer the matter to the Security Council. But the moment they broke up the negotiation table, meaning the Israelis and their supporters in the United States, they created a very unpleasant atmosphere that did not allow us to reach an agreement or continue the negotiations. Yes, we are proponents of diplomacy. But diplomacy requires a suitable atmosphere, a proper and reliable political space. So it was the US and Israel that destroyed that space. Until that suitable atmosphere is created, we cannot dialogue, we cannot negotiate.
Reporter: But you see Donald Trump really reaching out. He said there is a chance for a deal. Do you fundamentally have a picture in your mind of what an agreement with Trump would entail, if one were to be made?
Araghchi: Look, we had five rounds of negotiations, and it is completely clear to both sides what the essential parameters would be if we were to reach an agreement. It is clear to both sides. But it is the US that is not ready to make a decision. It is the US that is not ready to finalize the agreement. Even in New York, at least three times, we created a very creative and new solution that satisfied all parties. But the US was unable to decide. You know, they tell us: "We cannot decide; we have to go back to Washington and get confirmation." And it seems that they lack the courage to decide. So when individuals, countries, or officials lack the courage to decide, you cannot do diplomacy. Diplomacy means making decisions, and sometimes those decisions are hard.
Reporter: Do you think Donald Trump has the courage to make such decisions?
Araghchi: I don't know. But what we have seen so far shows that he is not ready.
Reporter: Steve Witkoff told us that you yourself were very close to an agreement. You personally wanted a deal, but the system and the leadership in Iran were not ready and stopped you. Is that true?
Araghchi: No, that is not true. I have the full support of the government and the leadership. We were united in the negotiations. We were also united on one principle: No agreement with "zero enrichment" is acceptable. So when the US insisted on zero enrichment, all of us, from the government to the leadership, said "No." But when the US accepted that zero enrichment is impossible, then we tried to find creative solutions. At least three good solutions were created. If they had agreed to any of these solutions, we could have had an agreement in New York. But they were unable to decide.
Reporter: Let me ask about enrichment. If the US accepts Iran's right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, would you, in return, be willing to accept permanent limitations and supervision?
Araghchi: We previously accepted limitations in the JCPOA. We accepted limitations, transparency, and unprecedented supervision. So this is nothing new. If the US returns to a fair and balanced agreement, we can once again accept transparency and supervision. But this agreement must be fair, not unilateral.
Reporter: Is Iran currently practically enriching uranium? Are you at the zero enrichment stage now?
Araghchi: We are not enriching, because all the facilities have been attacked. So there are many dangers, and that is why enrichment has stopped now.
Reporter: The International Atomic Energy Agency consistently requests access to all Iranian nuclear sites. So far, you have said "No." Do you envision a scenario where you would allow access to all sites?
Araghchi: The Agency has also accepted that the field conditions have changed. We asked the Agency if there is a protocol or regulation for inspecting a nuclear facility that has been attacked? There is no protocol because there is no precedent. Until now, no peaceful nuclear site under safeguards has been attacked, so there is no precedent for how to inspect after an attack. Obviously, there are security and safety risks. There are unexploded ordnance, missiles, and similar items. There is also a risk of radiation. There are still threats from the US that anyone approaching those facilities will be attacked. So we need a "method" or "framework" for how to inspect those facilities. We tried to create such a framework; when I went to Cairo and my colleagues also came to Cairo, we formed the Cairo Understanding. In the Cairo Understanding, we divided Iran's nuclear facilities into two categories: attacked facilities and non-attacked facilities. For non-attacked facilities, the usual routine is in place. The Agency has been able to visit and inspect them. Of course, we have a new law passed by the Parliament that changes the inspection process, but it does not prevent inspections. So for non-attacked sites, everything is business as usual, and they are being inspected. Grossi mentioned this in his last report in Vienna. For the attacked facilities, we need to negotiate. The government has accepted that we must negotiate how to inspect these facilities. But unfortunately, right after the Cairo Understanding, Europe and the US decided to take the matter to the Security Council, and now we see that all the powers have introduced a new resolution against Iran. So it is these three European countries and the US that are making this difficult and impossible.
Reporter: If another attack from Israel on Iran occurs, how prepared are you?
Araghchi: You know, our missiles are in a better position. We have learned many lessons. We have identified our weaknesses and strengths, and the Israelis' weaknesses, and we have worked on all of them, and we are fully prepared, even better than before. This does not mean that we are heading for war. As you know, the best way to prevent war is to be prepared for it. We are fully prepared, and I don't think they will dare to repeat the same mistake and failed experience.
Reporter: You had problems in the last war. Iranians, unlike Israelis, did not have shelters. Your sky was under threat.
Araghchi: Certainly, we have learned many lessons.
Reporter: Can I ask if the actions of the US and Israel, and you also mentioned Europe, have led your relations with Russia and China to become closer? Have you gravitated toward the East because of recent events?
Araghchi: This has been an important factor. You know, our policy has always been a balanced policy towards West and East. We want to be a truly independent country, without dependence on any other country, whether in the West or the East. But we must admit that it was the Western countries that practically made us realize that China and Russia are better friends than them.
Reporter: One sign of readiness for new opportunities in the region could be your response to the latest UN Security Council resolution on Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza. Is this resolution acceptable to Iran, or is Iran's stance the same as Hamas, which considers it unacceptable?
Araghchi: We issued a statement about this last night. Our position is clear. Obviously, we welcome any decision or move that can stop the genocide in Gaza, stop the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, open the way for humanitarian aid, and help bring peace to that area and rebuild the damaged places. But at the same time, we have our concerns, and these are real concerns. We think that the Palestinians' right to self-determination is practically weakened and seriously overlooked by this resolution. The right of Palestinians to have a state and statehood is very weak in the language and expression of that resolution. This resolution has practically put the Palestinians under the tutelage of a group of other countries. Even the role of the UN Security Council is weakened. So we have our concerns, but at the same time, we do not oppose anything that can stop the suffering of the Palestinians.
Reporter: One of the points of that plan is that all parties must accept living in peace with each other, which means having a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Is this a position that Iran can endorse?
Araghchi: In fact, it is up to the Palestinians themselves whether to accept this resolution or not. We just expressed our opinion.
Reporter: Can I ask about your relations in the region and how they have changed? What will be the future of Iran in this region?
Araghchi: Iran is undoubtedly the main player in this region. Iran is a large country with distinct capabilities. We have tried to establish a very good neighborly policy with all countries in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. I think we have been completely successful in our approach to the countries of the region. We have been able to build trust, especially with Saudi Arabia and also other countries, with Egypt, with Jordan, with any other country. I have traveled to all of them, even Bahrain, with whom we don't have relations, in the last 12 months. I think I have been to Egypt three or four times. We have tried to build trust and make sure they don't mistake the real threat in the region. Netanyahu has committed many crimes. He is responsible for genocide and killing. But at the same time, he has also done something positive. And what was that? He proved completely to all countries in the region that the real threat is Israel, not Iran. In the last two years, Israel has attacked seven countries in this region and killed over 70,000 people in Gaza and Hezbollah. So now it is clear to everyone in the region who the real threat is. The countries of this region can live in peace. The only problem is foreign intervention, especially in the security of this region. We believe that as soon as foreign forces leave this region, we will be in a better position to cooperate and live peacefully with each other.
Reporter: It might be a beautiful dream that foreign intervention stops, but it probably won't. What is your main message to Donald Trump today? What should he do now to prevent worse problems in this region?
Araghchi: It is interesting that you yourself admit that foreign intervention exists in this region and it cannot be denied. So this is the main source of the problem. And I think the message for all of us is, let the countries of this region decide for themselves.
Reporter: You have millions of Iranians now living in the West and in many countries around the world, and they are eager to maintain contact with their country. But many are afraid of returning home or of their families being threatened. What guarantee can you give them that Iran is safe for their return?
Araghchi: My understanding is different from yours. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Iranians living abroad travel to their homeland. Yes, there is a small number who have faced problems due to previous issues they had inside Iran, but their number is very limited. Of course, there is a lot of noise about this, mostly created by media outside the country. But in reality, as border statistics show, millions of Iranians travel to their homeland every year. But I agree that we should try harder to make them more comfortable when they decide to return to Iran. We must counter the negative atmosphere that is mostly created by media outside the country.
Reporter: In Europe, we pay attention to the relationship between Iran and Russia. We know that in the war in Ukraine, Iran has provided some assistance to Russia, which might be a kind of foreign intervention. What is your current relationship with Russia like?
Araghchi: We have signed an agreement for Strategic Partnership. This agreement was signed between the two presidents last year. Iran and Russia have always had very good relations. They have helped us a lot in various fields, and we have cooperation in various areas. This is something I must emphasize, we have always supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and we have always called for a peaceful resolution of differences between the two countries. But as I said, military cooperation between Iran and Russia is nothing new and goes back years. The purpose of our military cooperation has only been defensive, not offensive. Russia helped us a lot during the war, and after that, we have had more cooperation than before. That's why I am telling you we are even more prepared than before.
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