TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said here on Wednesday any potential negotiations with the United States (US) would focus solely on Tehran's nuclear issue, according to the official news agency IRNA.
He made the remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting while elaborating on Iran's position on the issues to be discussed in any possible future talks with the US.
In recent months, the US has repeatedly urged Iran to halt uranium enrichment and curb its missile program. Iran has rejected these demands, describing both issues as non-negotiable.
"Our position has always been clear: if any negotiation starts, it will be only over the nuclear issue," Araghchi said.
In a recent interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera, Araghchi said Tehran is not interested in direct negotiations with Washington, but an agreement can be reached through indirect talks.
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He voiced Iran's readiness for holding negotiations to resolve concerns about its nuclear program.
Araghchi added it is possible to reach a fair agreement, but Washington has set out "unacceptable" conditions, noting Iran will not negotiate on its missile program and will not stop uranium enrichment.
Iran and the US had held five rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear program and the removal of US sanctions and were about to hold a sixth one when Israel struck Iran on June 13. The strikes targeted multiple sites in Iran, including nuclear and military facilities, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
On June 22, US forces bombed the three Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Potential nuclear talks with French
As for other western countries, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the same day highlighted in a phone call the importance of dialogue in addressing differences and resolving misunderstandings regarding the Iranian nuclear negotiations.
According to a statement published by Pezeshkian's office, the Iranian president said his country has always welcomed dialogue and engagement, urging the Western side to "respect Iran's rights" and refrain from seeking to impose what he called "excessive demands."
"It is the turn of the US and Europe to gain Iran's trust through proving their sincerity," he said.
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Pezeshkian also noted that Iran has come under increasing pressure and sanctions based on a "biased" insistence and the "false" pretext that Tehran is attempting to make nuclear weapons.
The French president, for his part, said he would work to create a new negotiation framework aimed at paving the way for a clear agreement between Iran and the Western states.
"It is essential that our interactions and dialogue continue to create transparency and build trust so that we can reach an agreement and, while lifting sanctions (on Iran), improve and expand bilateral relations," he stressed.
Iran signed a nuclear deal with six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the US -- in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions. The US pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to scale back its commitments under the agreement.
Iran has over the past months held several rounds of talks with the US and the three European countries of France, Britain and Germany, collectively known as the E3, on its nuclear program and the removal of US sanctions. Despite these diplomatic efforts, US forces conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, while the E3 invoked the "snapback" mechanism in late August, paving the way for the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran in late September.
