Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1458 on Monday 3 November 2025

Tehran, Iran — Iran is “not in a hurry” to resume nuclear talks with the United States, the country’s foreign minister told Al Jazeera in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remains open to indirect negotiations with Washington, but only if the U.S. approaches the talks “from an equal position based on mutual interest.” The interview with Al Jazeera Arabic was conducted at Araghchi’s office in Tehran.

Iran’s foreign minister said a “shared understanding” about Israel is taking shape across the Middle East, reflecting what he described as shifting regional dynamics.

Tehran’s top diplomat rejected the conditions reportedly set by Washington for restarting nuclear talks — including requirements for direct negotiations, an end to uranium enrichment, and restrictions on Iran’s missile capabilities and support for regional allies — calling them “illogical and unfair.”

“Such demands make talks impossible,” he said, adding, “It appears they are not in a hurry. We are not in a hurry, either.”

Despite renewed United Nations sanctions and domestic pressures, Abbas Araghchi maintained that the balance of power in the region is turning against Israel, the United States’ closest ally.

“I sometimes tell my friends that Mr. Netanyahu is a war criminal who has committed every atrocity, but did something positive in proving to the entire region that Israel is the main enemy — not Iran or any other country,” Araghchi said, referring to the Israeli prime minister.

His remarks followed statements from Oman’s foreign minister two days earlier, marking the first time Muscat has publicly joined criticism of Netanyahu and his hardline government.

Oman has long served as a mediator between Iran and the United States on nuclear, financial, and prisoner exchange matters, as well as other regional issues.

Tehran and Washington had been expected to hold a sixth round of indirect talks in mid-June, but the discussions were derailed after Israel launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities — an escalation that triggered a 12-day conflict leaving more than 1,000 people dead in Iran and causing billions of dollars in infrastructure damage.

Following media reports last week that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had sent a new message to Tehran through Oman, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed that messages had indeed been received. She declined to provide details on their content or on Tehran’s response. The White House has not publicly confirmed the exchange.

In his interview, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that “almost all” of the roughly 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of 60-percent enriched uranium in Iran’s possession are “buried under the rubble” of nuclear facilities bombed by the U.S. and Israel.

“We have no intention of removing them from under the rubble until conditions are ready,” he said. “We have no information on how much of the 400 kilograms remains intact and how much was destroyed — and we will not know until we excavate the site.”

Iran’s foreign minister noted that China and Russia have formally rejected the United Nations sanctions recently reimposed on Tehran by the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal.

France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have indicated their willingness to resume talks with Iran, but meaningful progress has yet to be achieved.

In the meantime, the three countries have imposed additional sanctions and restrictions targeting Tehran’s nuclear programme and its alleged supply of drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.

In September, the European powers also announced the suspension of their bilateral air services agreements with Iran, a move that has disrupted operations for Iranian carriers, including Iran Air.

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Follow us on all social media, type “HICGI News Agency” .