Iran Signals Nuclear Deal with U.S. Achievable Via Mediators

(MENAFN) Iran's top diplomat Seyed Abbas Araghchi has rejected the prospect of face-to-face discussions with Washington, though he signaled that a nuclear accord remains achievable through mediated channels.

Speaking in a Saturday broadcast interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera, Araghchi indicated Tehran's willingness to engage in dialogue over its atomic program concerns.

"We have no desire to hold direct negotiations with Washington, but we can achieve an agreement through indirect negotiations," he stated.

Defending his nation's atomic activities as non-military in nature, Araghchi declared Iran's uranium enrichment operations will continue uninterrupted, asserting that "what could not be achieved by war cannot be achieved through politics."

The foreign minister revealed that Iran's 400-kilogram reserve of 60 percent enriched uranium remains trapped beneath destroyed infrastructure at bombed nuclear sites and has not been relocated.

"We suffered major losses in our nuclear facilities, both in terms of structures and equipment, but our technology remains intact," Araghchi said, referencing the U.S. bombing campaign against three Iranian nuclear installations—Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan—on June 22.

Before Israel conducted extensive surprise aerial assaults on multiple Iranian locations in June, Iran and the United States had participated in five rounds of indirect diplomatic exchanges focused on Tehran's nuclear activities and lifting U.S. economic sanctions. U.S. military forces subsequently participated in the bombardment operations.

In recent months, Washington has repeatedly demanded that Tehran halt domestic uranium enrichment and restrict its ballistic missile capabilities. Iran has categorically refused both demands, characterizing them as non-negotiable red lines.

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