Araqchi Says Iran Ready for Diplomacy, Warns ‘There Is No Military Solution’

In an interview with “Morning Joe” on Friday, Araqchi discussed the current state of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US. His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a decision on possible military action would be made within the next two weeks.

“So now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington. “Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next, probably, 10 days.”

Addressing the prospect of military action, Araqchi cautioned Washington against pursuing such a course.

“There is no military solution,” he said, warning the US against taking military action to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The foreign minister stressed that diplomacy remains the only viable path forward. If the US administration seeks to “ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever, the only solution is diplomatic negotiation and coming to a diplomatic solution,” he said.

At the same time, Araqchi underlined that Tehran stands ready for all scenarios. “We are prepared for diplomacy, and we are prepared for negotiation as much as we are prepared for war,” he said.

Responding to questions about reports that Washington has demanded a permanent suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, Araqchi said Iran has not “offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment.”

Regarding Trump’s proposed 10-day timeline, the Iranian foreign minister said “no ultimatum” has been issued and that negotiators from both sides are working toward a “fast deal” that would benefit both countries.

“Obviously, any day the sanctions are terminated — sooner, it will be better for us, so we have no reason to delay a possibility or buying time. Not at all,” he said. “On the other side, for the US side also, President Trump and his team are interested in a quick deal, so we agreed to work with each other to achieve a deal as soon as possible. The only question is how to make it a fair deal, a win-win deal, an equitable deal, and that is the difficult part of that.”

Araqchi expressed confidence that a negotiated settlement is attainable. “I have been in this business in the past 20 years and negotiated with different parties. I know that a deal is achievable,” he said, warning that a US military strike “would only complicate this” and “bring about disastrous consequences, not only for us, perhaps for the whole region and for the whole international community.”

At the conclusion of the interview, when asked whether he had a message for Trump or members of Congress, Araqchi said past pressure tactics had failed.

“The message is that previous US administrations, even the current US administration, have tried almost everything against us — war, you know, sanctions, snapback, everything — but none of them worked,” he said.

“If you talk with the Iranian people with the language of respect, we respond with the same language. But if they talk to us with the language of force, we will reciprocate in the same language,” Araqchi said./tasnim