Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday said Iran is ready for nuclear talks with the United States, but emphasized they must be “fair and equitable.”
“We are under no circumstances willing to accept dictation or imposition,” Araghchi said. “Nevertheless, Iran is ready to participate in any diplomatic process that is meaningful, logical and fair.”
Iran’s new statements come as the U.S. has sent naval warships from the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East, signaling a readiness to strike. But President Donald Trump has maintained that his administration hopes to take a diplomatic path forward, telling reporters on Thursday night, “It would be great if we didn’t have to use” any of the ships sent to the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Araghchi also denied an Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL—on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation—which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS,” he wrote on X.
Araghchi’s comments could signal more hope for a diplomatic agreement than his statement last week in a Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he wrote that a “final failure of diplomacy” looms over the situation.
“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Araghchi wrote in the Jan. 20 Wall Street Journal op-ed.
Trump has put pressure on Iran to stop its deadly crackdown on the nationwide protests against the Islamic government. A recent report shows the number of deaths as a result of the crackdown may sit at over 30,000. In his comments to reporters on Thursday, Trump said he has been and will continue to be in communication with Iranian leaders.
“I told them two things. No. 1: no nuclear. And No. 2: stop killing protesters. They are killing them by the thousands. I stopped 837 hangings two weeks ago, but they’re going to have to do something. Nobody’s seen anything like this,” Trump said.
The U.S. Treasury Department also announced sanctions on Iranian regime officials, including interior minister Eskandar Momeni Kalagari.
“President Trump stands with the people of Iran and has ordered Treasury to sanction members of the regime. Treasury will continue to target Iranian networks and corrupt elites that enrich themselves at the expense of the Iranian people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
PROSPECT OF STRIKE ON IRAN SENDS OIL PRICES SOARING
Araghchi made the comments on Friday at a press conference with Turkey‘s foreign minister Hakan Fidan. Turkey has been a prominent force in bringing potential negotiations between the two nations, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a friendly relationship with Trump, recently signing onto Trump’s Board of Peace.
Turkey, along with the Gulf States, has urged against a U.S. military strike in Iran, warning that it could cause regional destabilization.
