Tehran/Web Desk – June 27 2025 – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made clear on Thursday that his nation does not plan to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, contradicting recent remarks made by President Donald Trump. He further claimed that while recent U.S. airstrikes may have caused some damage, their claims of destruction remain exaggerated.
Araqchi insisted during an interview broadcast on state television, that Iran does not currently plan to meet with the United States, rebutting Trump’s announcement of talks taking place next week, before dismissing that announcement by Araqchi as fake news (yahoo.com/reuters.com +3; NYPost.com).
He noted that negotiations had already taken place for five rounds but were repeatedly interrupted by military strikes carried out by both U.S. and Israel against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, for which negotiations are scheduled to resume soon (reuters.com; timesofindia.indiatimes.com +1).
Araqchi reiterated Tehran is still assessing whether entering into negotiations with Washington is in its national interests, noting no formal meetings had been scheduled and that Iran remains committed to its parliamentary law, mandating suspension of nuclear negotiations and cooperation with IAEA inspectors (nypost.com/, wsj/ and reuters/).
Playing Down the Bombardment In his comments about U.S. strikes in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, Araqchi acknowledged that damage was “not slight”, yet opposed the American narrative of widespread devastation. [reuters.com/article/19706738818/587872367/18745941817792614451574366589
Iranian officials, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and others have consistently dismissed U.S. claims as overblown and maintained that Iran’s nuclear facilities can be repaired quickly within months, according to sources such as The Guardian (+15) or ApNews (+15). Additionally, The New York Post (+15).
While U.S. and Israeli officials insist the attacks severely degraded Iran’s nuclear capability, some U.S. assessments indicate only a modest “months-long delay”. For more on this subject see: reuters.com +3 and en.wikipedia.org (both provide details).
Iran strongly disputes claims of any irreparable damage being done to their nuclear program by radioactive leaks, and maintains that they will quickly resume development of their program.
Diplomatic Repercussions
The strikes and subsequent refusal of talks threaten to derail any diplomatic momentum. European powers – who had been mediating nuclear discussions – warn that military escalation has now “left hopes for renewed nuclear diplomacy in tatters”.
[sources: New York Post | Reuter’s | Times of India.indiatimes com] *** [source: Timesofindia.indiatimes com].
Arab allies and regional actors are also closely watching as tensions intensify in Syria.
Iran continues its suspension from the International Atomic Energy Agency, following its parliament’s vote to stop all nuclear oversight – something analysts warn could undermine global non-proliferation efforts and put global non-proliferation efforts at risk. For more information please visit ResponsibleStatecraft.org (+1), Guardian (+1), Responsible Statecraft and Responsible Statecraft (all +1) (all +1).
Looking Ahead With no talks scheduled and military actions still unfolding, diplomatic opportunities are quickly closing down. Iran has issued warnings that further strikes would prompt it to respond with military force, including potentially reassessing its nuclear posture accordingly (NyPost.com +2). Senior Iranian officials such as Araqchi have repeatedly signaled this will happen and that Tehran will respond by striking back; Araqchi and other senior officials have made such statements through public statements and senior level announcements such as Araqchi has warned retaliating and reallocating its nuclear positions accordingly (NyPost.com +2).
Europe has called on both Tehran and Washington to de-escalate, with diplomats from France, Britain and Germany calling on both to step back from confrontation and return to dialogue. Iran emphasizes that any future talks must acknowledge their right to enrichment while guaranteeing against external interference – an option Europe is willing to consider as part of any resolution plan.
Iran remains firm in its refusal to resume nuclear negotiations with the U.S. under current conditions and views the damage from recent strikes as manageable rather than catastrophic. Western powers need to find an acceptable diplomatic framework that addresses Iran’s core concerns in order to resume diplomatic engagement and save nuclear diplomacy from becoming mired in rising regional volatility.