FM: Iran won’t dismantle nuclear program, but open to assurances

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi noted that his country won’t dismantle nuclear program as he held talks with US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, as part of renewed efforts to assess the feasibility of reviving nuclear negotiations between the two nations.

The session, which unfolded at the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, was marked by a cautious tone and limited but substantive message exchanges, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

The meeting began at approximately 3:00 p.m. local time, with Albusaidi serving as intermediary. Araghchi and Witkoff exchanged fewer than ten written messages during the meeting. Araghchi initiated the correspondence.

Witkoff, who was accompanied by two aides — one of them a nuclear expert — exchanged pleasantries with Araghchi only at the conclusion of the meeting as they departed their separate rooms, highlighting the restrained nature of the engagement.

In his communications, Araghchi stressed Iran's genuine intent behind the talks.

He further clarified Iran’s stance on its nuclear program. “Iran wants a win-win agreement. It would not, under any circumstances, agree to dismantle its nuclear program.” However, Araghchi affirmed Iran’s readiness “to take steps to provide assurances against the militarization of its nuclear activities,” stating that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would remain the only external body allowed access to nuclear sites.

In return, Tehran is demanding the lifting of US sanctions across multiple sectors — a move it insists must be permanent. “Once those sanctions are removed, the US cannot bring them back under other pretexts,” Araghchi asserted.

He also proposed a framework agreement to structure future talks and urged Washington to present an alternative should it reject Iran’s proposal.

Witkoff, while refraining from referencing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or any dismantlement clause, acknowledged that “Washington needs to make concessions” — signaling a potentially more flexible American posture.

Though discreet and preliminary, the meeting in Oman has reinvigorated speculation about the possibility of renewed diplomacy between Washington and Tehran, even as broader geopolitical tensions linger.

By Vafa Guliyeva