Iran has no plans to sit down with American officials, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera, even as Tehran's leadership reviews a letter from US Vice President JD Vance. He also set out the conditions Washington must meet before any talks and warned that Iran is ready for war.
Araghchi described the letter as a "positive step" and said Tehran had held high-level meetings about it. He dismissed reports of a planned meeting with US officials as "merely media speculation."
"We see no need to meet with the Americans at present," he said. "Our conditions are clear, and mediators are continuing their consultations regarding them."
He conceded that the economic pressure on Iran is real, but he insisted the country "will not surrender." "We will continue to stand firm and resist, and we will overcome this difficult phase through our own capabilities," Araghchi said.
Tehran's list of demands
Araghchi said Washington must meet Iran's conditions before talks of any kind can be held, whether direct or indirect. His list includes lifting the sanctions imposed after the Islamabad memorandum and reducing US forces in the region. Iran also wants its oil waivers restored and every frozen Iranian asset released, Qatar-held funds among them. He added that a reopened Strait of Hormuz on Tehran's terms would clear the way for renewed negotiations with Washington on the remaining issues.
On the nuclear file, Araghchi said Tehran is in the "second phase" of reviewing proposals from mediators. "My aide is currently in Qatar to continue consultations," he said. "Qatari and Pakistani mediators are continuing consultations regarding our conditions." He also said an arrangement reached through the mediators would cut the implementation of Tehran's proposal to two days.
Reuters, citing a source with information on the matter, reported that Saturday's talks with the Qatari mediators followed more than 12 hours of discussions the day before. The source said the aim of the talks is to avert war.
Araghchi warned that it "would be yet another mistake" if the purpose of Vance's letter was "to stir up discord." He also stated that Tehran is preparing for the alternative. "We do not rule out any possibility regarding the outbreak of war, and we are prepared for all scenarios," he said. "We have upgraded our weaponry, addressed our vulnerabilities, and tested new arms; our forces are at the highest level of readiness."
On Saturday, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered Iran's armed forces to be ready to answer any attack "with an immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response." He said Iranian forces were on high readiness along the Gulf coast, in the Strait of Hormuz area and the Gulf of Oman, and along the country's northwestern and southeastern frontiers.
In Washington, President Donald Trump played down the letter on Wednesday and told a reporter he had not directed Vance to send it. "Iran needs help with medical supplies," Trump said. "Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well." At a rally in Ohio, he said Iran's missiles are "still there, but much less" and declared that "Iran will never, ever have a nuclear weapon."
