WANA (May 11) – Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, stated just hours before departing for Muscat to attend the fourth round of indirect talks with the United States that the Islamic Republic’s position in the upcoming negotiations is “entirely clear, principled, and non-negotiable.”

 

Referring to his recent consultations in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Araghchi said these discussions were part of preparations for this round of negotiations. He added, “This morning in Tehran, we also held further consultative meetings, and we hope to reach a decisive point in this round.”

 

Criticizing what he called the “contradictory statements from the other side,” he said, “Unfortunately, the U.S. position keeps shifting both inside and outside the negotiation room. In contrast, Iran’s stance is based on legal, transparent principles, and our path is clearly defined.”

 

Emphasizing that uranium enrichment is a fundamental right of the Iranian people, Araghchi said, “This program has come at a heavy cost — including the blood of our nuclear scientists. Therefore, it is not up for negotiation.”

 

At the same time, he stated that the Islamic Republic is willing to take steps toward building trust: “If there are concerns or ambiguities, we are ready to take measures to increase transparency. But we will neither compromise our principles nor negotiate the rights of the Iranian nation.”

 

He added that Iran has proposed a plan that would guarantee the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, while the American side has presented conflicting ideas. “If their only goal is to ensure Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, reaching an agreement is fully achievable. But if they raise unrealistic demands, naturally the negotiations will face obstacles.”

 

In conclusion, Araghchi stressed that the talks will continue to be held indirectly, with mediation by the Omani Foreign Minister. “The talks will begin this afternoon. Their duration will depend on the atmosphere of the negotiations. Our expert team is already on site and will be consulted if needed,” he said.