Khamenei's Advisor: Negotiations with Washington Possible on Condition of Respect

Despite Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei previously stating that negotiations with the United States would be fruitless, his advisor Kamal Kharrazi affirmed that Tehran has not closed the door to dialogue.

The head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said in press statements Sunday evening, following an extended conference in Tehran, that negotiations with the United States are possible if Washington changes its approach.

He stipulated that the Americans must adopt "a positive approach and negotiate on the basis of mutual respect and equality," as he put it. Kharrazi had earlier clarified during a full-day conference titled "International Law Under Attack: Aggression and Defense" that his country does not reject negotiations over its nuclear program, but will not abandon its defensive capabilities or its peaceful activities in uranium enrichment.

Iran’s Conditions and Warning to the IAEA

In a related context, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced that his country has no undeclared uranium enrichment facilities, emphasizing that all its installations are subject to monitoring by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

However, Iranian officials at the forum issued a strong warning to the IAEA:

• Threat of Review: Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi cautioned that if an anti-Iran resolution is adopted, "Iran will consider reviewing its relationship with the Atomic Agency and will conduct a radical review."

• Demand for Position: Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, called on the UN agency to "determine its position and responsibility in the context of any military attack and damage to facilities," after Tehran suspended cooperation with the agency following the Israeli war last June and accused the IAEA of bias.