Iran Prefers to Use Intermediaries to Negotiate With the United States
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, X/ @AlArabiya_Eng
April 8, 2025 Hour: 1:32 pm
Seeking indirect negotiations is neither a tactic nor a reflection of ideology, but rather a decision rooted in experience, FM Araqchi.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that the historical distrust between Iran and the United States makes the use of intermediaries necessary in negotiations.
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He made these remarks in an editorial published in The Washington Post the day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced “direct talks” with Iran, despite Tehran maintaining that Saturday’s negotiations in Oman will be “indirect.”
“Seeking indirect negotiations is neither a tactic nor a reflection of ideology, but rather a strategic decision rooted in experience,” said the Iranian minister, who explained that there is a “significant wall of distrust” between the two countries.
For this reason, Iran harbors “serious doubts about the sincerity of the Trump administration’s intentions,” he added. Trump has promised a policy of “maximum pressure” on the Persian nation.
“The interaction model we propose is not new. The U.S. itself is mediating indirect talks between Russia and Ukraine, a far more intense and complex conflict,” he stated, adding that he personally took part in indirect negotiations with the U.S. in 2021 to revive the nuclear deal, a process that was “productive,” although it ultimately failed due to “the lack of genuine determination” on the part of the Biden administration.
“Iran is ready to engage seriously and with a view toward reaching an agreement. We will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect negotiations. It is both an opportunity and a test,” he declared.
Trump sent a letter to Iran through the United Arab Emirates urging negotiations over its nuclear program and has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if an agreement is not reached. On March 26, Tehran responded with a message stating it is only willing to engage in indirect talks with Washington, given the U.S. president’s military threats and the imposition of new sanctions aimed at cutting off Iranian oil sales.
During his first term (2017–2021), Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 agreement signed between Iran and other world powers that imposed strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Since then, Iran has been enriching uranium far beyond the limits set in the now-defunct agreement and currently possesses 274 kilograms enriched to 60% purity—close to the 90% required for military use—according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
