US President-elect Donald Trump needs to show he will keep his word before Iran will consider talks with his administration, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told reporters on Wednesday.
"If Trump proves he follows through on his words, we will engage in talks with him," President Pezeshkian said during a cabinet meeting.
His comment followed the foreign minister's statement on state television the previous day, saying that Tehran would not engage in talks with the US unless Washington first rejoined the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“We will not negotiate with the United States until it returns to the JCPOA. We will also continue consultations with China and Russia, considering them two key members of the JCPOA,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated.
This is not the first occasion on which the Islamic Republic has insisted on evidence of US intentions prior to entering into negotiations.
Since the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and imposed severe economic sanctions, Tehran has repeatedly called for the easing of these sanctions as a sign of Washington's goodwill.
Iranian and international media, along with analysts, however, anticipate Trump to intensify sanction enforcement to compel Tehran into make concessions.
NBC is scheduled to air an interview with President Pezeshkian on Wednesday, where, according to his aide, he will convey Tehran’s willingness to engage in talks with the Trump administration.
This apparent divergence in messaging has drawn attention and criticism inside Iran.
In a short version of the interview NBC released on Tuesday, Pezeshkian also denied that the Islamic Republic had any plans to assassinate Donald Trump for the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, a pivotal figure who led Tehran's military operations across the Middle East.
Efforts by the Biden administration to restore the 2015 nuclear deal included extensive indirect talks with Tehran in 2021–2022, which stalled after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia, a key JCPOA signatory, played a significant role in those negotiations.
Iran's government is under increasing pressure from a worsening economic crisis and regional military setbacks in the Middle East over the past year.
Inside Iran, Trump’s return to the White House has led many officials, analysts, and state media to advocate for preemptive talks with the incoming administration to prevent further strain in relations with the US.
Araghchi's comments elicited strong criticism from Hamid Abutalebi, a political advisor to former President Hassan Rouhani. In a post on X, Abutalebi charged the Pezeshkian administration with inconsistency and a lack of clarity in its foreign policy approach.
“It seems that the esteemed government is engaging in ‘political self-deception,’” Abutalebi wrote. “On one hand, the President sends a message signaling a willingness to negotiate, while on the other, his Foreign Minister, in tonight's interview, takes a stance against the President's position, effectively neutralizing it.”
Abbas Araghchi addressed Iran’s stance on nuclear talks in an interview with state TV, saying discussions with Washington are not on the table because it withdrew from an international deal on the issue.
“We are not negotiating with the US government on nuclear issues until they return to the JCPOA or, in any case, announce their policy on this matter,” he said, referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"The new US administration has not yet taken office. We will only participate in honorable negotiations based on mutual respect, not under pressure and sanctions, and for our own interests," he added.
"The JCPOA formula remains valid and in place."
Negotiators from Iran and the European E3 countries—France, Britain, and Germany—held a third round of talks on Iran's nuclear program in Geneva on Monday, according to an Iranian deputy foreign minister.
"We discussed ideas involving certain details in the sanctions-lifting and nuclear fields that are needed for a deal," Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X. Describing the talks as "serious, frank, and constructive," he noted that both sides agreed to continue their dialogue.
"Sides concurred that negotiations should be resumed and to reach a deal, all parties should create and maintain the appropriate atmosphere," he added.
The JCPOA, signed in 2015, aimed to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
The US withdrawal from the deal in 2018 under the first Trump administration led to renewed sanctions and escalated tensions. Efforts under the Biden administration to revive the deal have been marked by significant challenges, including disputes over sanctions and verification mechanisms.
Araghchi said that in Geneva, Iran will engage with representatives from the EU and three European countries in a bid to revive the nuclear agreement.
“The main goal of the two-day talks in Geneva with representatives from the three European countries and the European Union is to find a way to restart nuclear negotiations and resolve this issue,” Araghchi explained.
He affirmed Iran’s openness to dialogue, provided it adheres to Iran’s terms.
“Regarding the nuclear issue, Iran has never left the negotiation table nor said to oppose negotiations, as it is confident in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. If there is an honorable and dignified negotiation, we will join it,” he said.
Talks on arms supplies to Russia
Araghchi signaled Iran’s readiness to negotiate with Europe on Ukraine, provided the talks address mutual concerns.
“If Europe complains about Iranian weapons being in Russian hands, it must also answer for its military cooperation in our region and with the Zionist regime. We are ready for dialogue with Europe, but it must be based on mutual concerns,” he added.
Iran has significantly increased its military support to Russia, supplying hundreds of Shahed-136 drones, which have been extensively used in Ukraine to target infrastructure and civilian areas.
In addition to direct deliveries, Iran has collaborated with Russia to establish a drone manufacturing facility in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, which became operational in July 2023.
The factory aims to produce thousands of drones annually, bolstering Russia's self-sufficiency in drone production.
Beyond drones, Iran has supplied Russia with short-range ballistic missiles, with satellite imagery revealing shipments of 220 missiles in 2024.
Providing few details, Iran's vice president for strategic affairs said in a preview of an online interview that sanctions on Iran and its allies deepened security challenges and made them vulnerable to Israeli booby traps.
“Our colleagues had purchased a centrifuge platform for the Atomic Energy Organization, and it was discovered that explosives had been embedded inside it, which they managed to detect," he told the Hozour (Presence) online program.
It was not clear when the alleged incident occurred.
A power failure at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site in April 2021 apparently caused by an explosion was decried by Iran as an act of "nuclear terrorism".
The murky incident was neither fully explained by Iran nor claimed by Israel, which has repeatedly carried out cyberattacks and assassinations aiming at Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran says it is pursuing peaceful nuclear technology, while Israel and the United States believe Iran may ultimately seek a bomb.
Zarif detailed how sanctions compel Iran and its allies to rely on intermediaries, creating vulnerabilities that have allegedly been exploited by Israel.
“Instead of being able to order equipment directly from the manufacturer, sanctions force you to rely on multiple intermediaries for such purchases," Zarif said.
"If the Zionist regime infiltrates even one of the intermediaries, they can do anything and embed anything they want, which is exactly what happened.”
A series of coordinated explosions in Hezbollah's communication devices in September 2024 arose from Israel's diligent infiltration of those suppliers, he added.
“The issue with the pagers in Lebanon turned out to be a multi-year process, meticulously orchestrated by the Zionists."
The September incidents in Lebanon involved the detonation of around 5,000 pagers and 1,000 walkie-talkies, resulting in at least 32 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries.
Though Israel has not taken credit for the attacks, Israeli intelligence operatives appear to have covertly modified the devices, embedding explosives during a decade-long operation involving fake companies and deceptive distribution tactics.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) suspended communication devices, conducting inspections to prevent recurrence. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization also banned electronic communication devices, barring mobile phones, on commercial flights.
"These are, in fact, some of the damages caused by sanctions, which have made circumventing them a necessity for us," Zarif said. "In addition to financial losses, there have also been significant security risks.”