Iran announced on Saturday that it is open to negotiations with the United States (US) but not under the “maximum pressure” strategy employed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a statement published on Telegram, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that while lifting sanctions requires dialogue, such discussions must not take place within the framework of maximum pressure, as this would amount to surrender rather than true negotiation.
His comments follow a warning from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who urged the government to avoid negotiations with Washington, calling such an approach reckless.
Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over Iran’s strategic decisions, cited past dealings with the U.S. to justify his stance.
In 2015, Iran reached a historic agreement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China, and Russia to regulate its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, in 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal and reinstated heavy sanctions on Tehran, despite objections from European allies.
On Wednesday, Trump called for a verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran, asserting that the country must not acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.
Meanwhile, Washington reinforced its maximum pressure strategy on Tuesday, with the U.S. imposing financial sanctions on Thursday against entities and individuals accused of facilitating the shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil to China.
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