Iran has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to maintain its technical cooperation with the country and refrain from politicizing technical issues.
The Iranian request came shortly after Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif said Washington's flexibility would leave room for negotiations.
“Iran and the IAEA must continue their cooperation in a technical and forward-looking environment,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday during a telephone conversation with the agency’s chief, Rafael Grossi.
The Foreign Minister urged the IAEA to act within the framework of its responsibilities and continue cooperation with Iran in “a technical atmosphere,” away from “unjustified pressure” exerted by some countries.
The semi-official Mehr news agency said Araghchi reiterated his country’s determination to continue cooperation with the IAEA within the framework of its international obligations, stressing the agency needs to avoid politicization.
Iran earlier said Israel and the US would be “crazy” to attack its nuclear facilities, adding it would spell a “very bad disaster” for the region. Tehran also said that the new US administration should work to win back Iran’s trust if it wants a new round of nuclear negotiations.
Last week, US President Donald Trump said he wished to avoid military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, hoping instead for an agreement.
On Wednesday, Iranian newspaper Jomhouri-e Eslami, which is close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said the statements of regime officials signal that the willingness of Iran to negotiate has become greater than ever.
It added that in such case, there is hope for a breakthrough in foreign policy issues.
For his part, Javad Zarif criticized the US influence on his country's foreign policy, calling it an obstacle that must be removed.
Speaking at a conference in Tehran, titled Prospects of Regional and Global Developments in the Trump Era, Zarif said: “I do not view the United States as an opportunity for Iran's foreign policy; I see it as an obstacle.”
According to Mehr, he said Trump's focus on reviving hard power through economic pressure—such as tariffs and visa restrictions—was emblematic of his administration's approach to global dominance.
The Iranian Vice President added that Trump divided countries into “smaller nations that must show loyalty and other peer nations that do not.”
This dynamic, he suggested, “weakened the notion of stable alliances, replacing them with temporary, issue-based coalitions.”
Zarif also addressed perceptions of Iran’s weakened state, refuting that it posed a greater nuclear threat.
“They argue that military action is the only way to stop Iran,” he said, but added that Trump’s flexibility might leave room for negotiations.
After Trump's victory in the US presidential election, sources close to him said his administration will return to the ‘maximum pressure’ measures against Tehran. They also spoke about a possible military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
