WANA (Sep 23) – Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stressed in a meeting with members of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce that the Islamic Republic has never turned away from negotiations, while identifying the main obstacle as “Western dishonesty and excessive demands.”

 

Larijani, during the three-hour session, praised the private sector’s role in the “12-day war,” saying: “By keeping factories operational, you have made a major contribution to the nation’s resilience.” He underlined that the Supreme National Security Council welcomes the establishment of a mechanism for incorporating the views of the private sector into decision-making.

 

Referring to the course of nuclear talks, Larijani explained: “Iran has exhausted every possible avenue to resolve the issue through negotiations, but the other side has consistently acted in bad faith. Even in the middle of talks, our nuclear facilities were bombed.”

 

Providing details, he added: “France conveyed a message through the IAEA Director General, saying that if certain arrangements were reached, they would withdraw the snapback request. The agreement was made, yet they failed to deliver. Even when we accepted the European and Russian proposal with some reservations, they reneged and returned to the snapback option.”

Iran's missile farm. Social media / WANA News Agency

Iran’s missile farm. Social media / WANA News Agency

Larijani also pointed to the American proposal: “They demanded that Iran reduce the range of its missiles to less than 500 kilometers — a condition no proud Iranian could ever accept.” He reminded the audience that it was the United States that first withdrew from the JCPOA, followed by Europe abandoning its commitments.

 

According to him, Iran not only welcomes dialogue but will accept any proposal that is “rational and fair” and guarantees the nation’s interests: “It is a lie that Iran refuses to negotiate; we were in negotiations when military attacks were launched against us.”

 

In conclusion, Larijani stressed: “Iran’s path is in direct conflict with the destabilizing policies of the Zionist regime, and the Islamic Republic welcomes political, economic, and security cooperation with regional countries.”

 

In a post on X following the meeting, Larijani once again underlined: “It is a lie that Iran does not negotiate. If a reasonable and fair proposal is presented that safeguards the country’s interests, the Islamic Republic will be ready to accept it.”