Araghchi: Certain Groups Manipulating Iran-US Talks

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced certain Special Interest groups for attempting to derail the ongoing diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington by promoting “maximalist demands” and smearing negotiators.

In a post published on his official X account on Tuesday, the top diplomat emphasized that these groups were laboring to manipulate the course of diplomacy and goad the US administration into making excessive demands.

Araghchi's remarks followed cancellation of his scheduled keynote address at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference.

The cancellation followed, what turned out to be, an "orchestrated pressure" campaign from "'Israeli'-affiliated hawkish elements" and officials from administrations of former US presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

The official clarified that his intention was not to use the speech to address the nuances of ongoing indirect talks between the two sides in public, but to explain Iran’s mindset and aspirations.

He expressed regret over the decision, attributing it to a lack of understanding of the sensitive dynamics involved in the diplomatic process.

The post also featured the complete text of the foreign minister’s speech, in which he reiterated Iran's longstanding commitment to the principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT], and emphasized the country's opposition to nuclear weapons on moral and religious grounds.

“As one of the founding signatories of the NPT back in the 1960s, Iran has long been committed to the principles of universal access to peaceful nuclear technology and rejection of atomic weapons,” the official wrote in the speech.

“We are also the only country on the planet that officially opposes nuclear arms on moral and religious grounds,” through a religious decree [fatwa] by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei.

Araghchi further highlighted Iran's advocacy for a nuclear weapon-free zone in the West Asia region and criticized Western countries for turning a blind eye to the "Israeli" entity’s expansive nuclear arsenal, calling for an end to this double standard.

Looking ahead, the foreign minister stressed that any future agreement had to guarantee Iran’s economic benefits, besides addressing “concerns of all parties.”

Accordingly, he underlined that the talks had to remain focused solely on the removal of the US’s illegal and unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic as well as the nuclear issue.

The Islamic Republic’s security would, therefore, never be subject to negotiation, he asserted, “In a region as rough and volatile as ours, Iran will never put its security up for negotiation.”

The official pointed out that Iran's pursuit of civilian nuclear energy aligned with its national developmental and economic goals.

He emphasized that the Islamic Republic had never opposed economic and scientific collaboration with the United States, noting that previous American administrations had been the obstacle, often influenced by Special Interest groups.

Araghchi, however, mentioned that Iran's economy presented significant opportunities for US enterprises, particularly in generating clean electricity from non-hydrocarbon sources.

Araghchi concluded by emphasizing the need to respect Iran’s civilizational past and cultural and political identity, arguing that threats and pressure against the Iranian nation had been counterproductive throughout history, closing avenues for compromise.

The official called for constructive engagement rooted in mutual respect and equal standing, asserting that Iran should not be treated as an exception within the global nonproliferation framework, and that nuclear-armed states also had to accept elimination of their non-conventional arsenals.