FM: Iran prepared for both diplomacy and war

Iran is committed to pursuing a diplomatic settlement with the United States while remaining ready for the possibility of renewed conflict, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

“There is no solution but a diplomatic solution,” Araghchi told RT in an exclusive interview in Tehran, adding that technology and progress cannot be destroyed through bombings and military threats, which have fueled Tehran’s mistrust of Washington.

“We still do not have full trust in Americans,” he said. “We were in the middle of negotiations last June when they decided to attack us. That was a very bad experience for us.”

Araghchi stressed that Iran’s uranium enrichment program is strictly peaceful and rooted in what he described as the country’s sovereign rights. He said enrichment levels depend on civilian needs, noting that power reactors require enrichment below 5%, while the Tehran Research Reactor – built by the U.S. before the 1979 revolution – uses 20% enriched fuel to produce medical isotopes for cancer treatment.

“The figures are not important… What matters is the peaceful nature of enrichment,” he said. He added that Iran is prepared to offer guarantees that it will not pursue nuclear weapons, calling such assurances “doable and achievable” if there is goodwill on both sides.

At the same time, Araghchi ruled out negotiations on Iran’s ballistic missile program or its regional alliances, saying these are unrelated to the nuclear issue. “We only negotiate about our nuclear program with the US,” he said, describing other demands as “absolutely” off the table.

Araghchi also made clear that Iran is ready for confrontation if diplomacy collapses. “We are prepared for a diplomatic solution as much as we are prepared to defend ourselves against any new aggression,” he said, adding that Iran’s military readiness has improved both “quantity-wise and quality-wise” since last year’s Israeli-U.S. bombing.

He was sharply critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him as a “warmonger” who has repeatedly tried to drag Washington into a wider war with Iran. If attacked again, he warned, Iran would strike U.S. assets and bases across the region.

Despite tensions, Araghchi said his recent discussions with U.S. interlocutors suggested an interest in avoiding war. “If they are serious, we are serious too,” he stated, adding that the responsibility now lies with Washington to provide guarantees that negotiations will not again be accompanied by military action.

“We have learned our lessons on war and diplomacy,” Araghchi said. “Now we are prepared for both.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev