Former Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi suggested Iran and the United States could resume talks by changing the framing of negotiations to a shared goal that Tehran should not have nuclear weapons.
“The title of the negotiation should be ‘Iran should not have nuclear weapons,’” Salehi said in an interview carried by Iranian media. “With this change, both sides can return to the negotiating table while saving face.”
Salehi, who previously headed Iran’s nuclear agency, said the change would be one of wording rather than substance and argued that workable technical solutions acceptable to both sides could be discussed once talks resumed.
“The issue is not technical,” he said. “Solutions that both sides can accept do exist.”
His comments come as diplomacy between Tehran and Washington remains stalled after a brief war between Iran and Israel in June that included US air strikes. US President Donald Trump said last week that Iran’s nuclear program was effectively destroyed by US and Israeli strikes and warned Tehran against restarting it.
Trump said Iran could avoid past and by reaching a nuclear deal, adding that any attempt to revive its program without an agreement would prompt further US action. He has repeatedly said Iran missed an earlier chance to avert the strikes by accepting a deal.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said dealing with Trump is beneath the dignity of the Islamic Republic, while Iranian officials have rejected US demands to end uranium enrichment and curb missile capabilities.
