Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed that Iran will not negotiate now or in the future and will not concede its missile and regional capabilities.
Araqchi indicated that if Iran wanted to negotiate regarding its missiles and the region, it would have negotiated with Trump himself. He asserted that with the cancellation of the Additional Protocol to the nuclear agreement, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency will not be expelled. Araqchi noted that Iran is considering Borrell's proposal to hold an informal meeting within the 4+1 framework with the presence of the United States and Iran. He also stated that the Biden administration has not yet reached a unified policy for returning to the nuclear agreement and lifting sanctions on Iran.
Araqchi confirmed that the visit of the Director of the IAEA to Iran is unrelated to Tehran's decision to stop applying the Additional Protocol. Earlier, Araqchi emphasized that Iran's request is realistic: for the U.S. to lift sanctions and return to the nuclear agreement, stating that there is no alternative. He mentioned that Iran has negotiated in good faith and implemented the nuclear agreement in good faith. He added, "It is now the turn of the new U.S. administration to compensate for the mistakes of the previous administration; to return to the nuclear agreement, they must lift all sanction measures. We are ready to fulfill all our commitments under the nuclear agreement, provided that the Americans meet their obligations and lift the sanctions."
He also denied the existence of secret communications between Iran and the new U.S. administration, stating, "We had no contact and have no intention of doing so. Naturally, we expect them to be fully in their positions before they start working. At the moment, we have no interest in any direct contact, and we believe that the nuclear agreement is the right form, and discussions should take place in that manner."
Regarding the request from the foreign ministers of the European troika to include Iranian missiles in the nuclear agreement, Araqchi responded, "No clauses will be added to the nuclear agreement, there will be no new agreements, and no new negotiations about the nuclear agreement; Iranian missiles are the only reliable defensive tool for Iran, and there will be no negotiations on this matter."
Concerning other issues, he remarked, "All of this depends on how the nuclear agreement is implemented. As for the security of the Gulf, this is an issue that can be subject to dialogue among the countries of the region without external interference; regional security can be discussed collectively."
