WANA (Jun 03) – Iran’s Foreign Minister stated that while the country has received a proposal from the United States, the document contains numerous ambiguities and unanswered questions. “Many key issues in this proposal remain unclear,” he said. “We will provide an appropriate and considered response in the coming days, based on our principled positions and with full regard for the interests of the Iranian people.”

 

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the Arabic translation of his book The Power of Negotiation in Beirut, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, said: “When Mr. Trump took office in the White House, one of his first acts was to issue a presidential memorandum declaring a policy of ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran. This policy was aimed at exerting the highest possible economic pressure on our country. In this context, they increased the number of troops in regional bases, deployed an additional warship, and escalated the presence of aircraft, fighter jets, and bombers—adding military pressure and threats of action to their economic pressure.”

 

He continued: “Then, under such conditions, they sent a letter to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, requesting negotiations. It’s quite evident that negotiations under such circumstances cannot be genuine or held on equal footing. Rather, they resemble negotiations under coercion or capitulation.”

 

Araghchi, head of Iran’s diplomatic apparatus, remarked: “In my book, I’ve tried to show that one must possess power in order to enter meaningful negotiations. Without sufficient power, no effective negotiation can take place. That is why the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected direct negotiations as envisioned by Mr. Trump, and instead declared: ‘We will not negotiate under conditions dictated by the United States. We will negotiate under conditions defined by ourselves’—which led to the option of indirect negotiations.”

 

He added: “A country intending to negotiate must rely on its internal strengths. Without power, negotiations cannot be sustained by words alone. One country might possess military power, another economic strength, or media influence—some may hold a combination of these. But without any real leverage, negotiation is meaningless.

 

For example, if a nation seeks to expel occupiers from its land, diplomacy alone isn’t enough. It must be backed by effective power—whether military or economic—to compel the adversary to retreat. Mere conversation won’t accomplish that.”

He went on to say: “If we didn’t have the necessary defensive capabilities, and the U.S. could easily bomb our nuclear facilities, there would be no incentive for them to negotiate with us. Or if we lacked sufficient scientific knowledge and couldn’t make progress in our nuclear program, again, there would be no reason for talks.”

 

The foreign minister emphasized: “The concept of The Power of Negotiation, as described in my book, refers to the very power required to enter negotiations. Of course, the phrase has other meanings as well. One of them is ‘negotiation ability’—that the negotiator must possess strength, skill, technique, language, and talent. This aspect is also covered in the book. A third meaning is that negotiation itself can generate power.”

 

Reiterating that Iran had received a proposal from the United States, Araghchi said: “This document is riddled with ambiguities and raises many questions. A number of its provisions remain vague. We will issue an appropriate response in the coming days, based on our principled stances and the interests of the Iranian nation.”

 

He continued: “Continuing uranium enrichment on Iranian soil is our red line. This is a fundamental reality that seems to have now been accepted by all parties. Enrichment has become a source of national pride and honor for Iranians. It is a scientific achievement realized through the hard work and knowledge of Iranian scientists—not an imported asset that can be easily surrendered.”

 

Araghchi further noted: “The Iranian people have made great sacrifices to attain this national achievement, enduring more than 20 years of severe U.S. sanctions because of the work of our scientists.”

 

Referring to the fact that Iran does not seek anyone’s permission to continue uranium enrichment, he stated: “Some of our nuclear scientists were assassinated by foreign agents and became martyrs. Their blood was shed for this very enrichment program. More than one million Iranians rely on medicines produced by the Tehran research reactor, so the continuation of uranium enrichment in Iran is an absolute necessity—and this path will continue.”

 

He concluded: “That said, we are ready to take steps in the direction of building trust and undertake measures to ensure that this enrichment does not lead toward nuclear weapon production.”