Iran Refuses Direct Nuclear Talks with US Amid “Maximum Pressure” Policy

Iran will not engage in direct negotiations with the United States regarding its nuclear program while the Trump administration maintains its policy of “maximum pressure,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, as per Al Jazeera.

Araghchi’s statement came after the US imposed new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry, a key source of the country’s revenue.

“Iran’s position regarding nuclear talks is clear and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions,” Araghchi said during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tehran. “There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the US as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way.”

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, seeking to reduce the country’s oil exports to zero, mirroring policies from his previous term.

Earlier this month, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that talks with the US were “not smart, wise, or honourable,” although he did not reimpose a previous ban on direct talks with Washington.

In 2018, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, which limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has since exceeded some of the deal’s limitations, and efforts to revive the agreement under former President Biden were unsuccessful.

On Monday, Iran held a new round of talks with Germany, France, and Britain (the E3) regarding its nuclear program, following renewed engagement with the trio late last year. Araghchi stated that he had briefed Lavrov on these discussions.

“On the nuclear issue, we will move forward with the cooperation and coordination of our friends in Russia and China,” he added.

Lavrov expressed his belief that diplomatic solutions remained possible for resolving issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, according to Iranian state media.

With Russia also facing sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, Moscow and Tehran have strengthened their relations in recent years.

Araghchi noted that Iran and Russia’s positions on Syria remain “very close.”

Lavrov’s visit to Iran follows recent direct talks between US and Russian officials, marking the first such engagement since the start of the war in Ukraine.