Iran has backtracked on its earlier openness to negotiating with the United States, stating that no decision has been made on the matter and denying receiving a message from US President Donald Trump.
“Iran has not yet concluded that negotiations are necessary. If they do take place, they will be conducted on equal terms. However, at this moment, no such conclusion has been reached,” the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying.
He added: “Iran has not received any message from Trump regarding negotiations, and fundamentally, there is no trust between the two sides.”
Araghchi also noted that talks with European counterparts are ongoing, and Tehran is awaiting further developments.
Regarding potential talks with Washington, the Iranian official said that while an agreement had been reached in the past, “the Americans violated it. Now, the foundation is a lack of trust. Trust cannot be built with words; we need to see real actions on the ground.”
Earlier, Tehran had expressed openness to considering negotiation offers from Trump regarding Iran’s nuclear program while warning that any attack on its nuclear facilities would lead to a “major disaster.”
Tehran has described targeting its nuclear sites as “madness,” warning that such an action would destabilize the region. It has also urged Washington to take further steps to rebuild trust at this stage.
Iran is particularly concerned that Trump’s potential return to office could revive his “maximum pressure” campaign, aimed at forcing Tehran to alter its regional policies—especially as its nuclear program advances toward weapons-grade enrichment levels.
Araghchi’s comments came after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cautioned Iranian officials to be wary in their dealings with adversaries.
“Behind diplomatic smiles lie hidden and malicious hostilities,” Khamenei warned, according to Tasnim. “We must keep our eyes open and be cautious in our interactions and dialogues with others.”
