Iran is prepared for the resumption of talks with the US, but they should be fair and not include Iran’s defence capabilities, Iran’s chief diplomat said yesterday, as regional powers work to prevent military conflict between the two foes.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he planned to speak with Iran, even as the US sent another warship to the Middle East and the Pentagon chief said the military would be ready to carry out whatever the president decided.
US-Iranian tensions have soared in recent weeks after a bloody crackdown on protests across Iran by its clerical authorities. One of the main US demands as a condition for resuming talks with Iran is curbing its missile programme, a senior Iranian official told Reuters last week.
Iran rejects that demand. Speaking at a Press conference in Istanbul after talks with his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran was ready to participate in “fair and equitable” negotiations, but added there were currently no meetings with US officials arranged.
“Iran has no problem with negotiations, but negotiations cannot take place under the shadow of threats. They must certainly set aside their threats and change their approach towards a fair and equitable negotiation, as Mr Trump himself said in his post,” he said.
“I should also state unequivocally that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities – and Iran’s missiles – will never be the subject of any negotiations,” he added.
“We will preserve and expand our defensive capabilities to whatever extent is necessary to defend the country,” Araqchi said.
Regional allies, including Turkey, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, have been engaging in diplomatic efforts to prevent a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
In response to US threats of military action, Araqchi said Tehran was ready for either negotiations or warfare, and also ready to engage with regional countries to promote stability and peace.
Araqchi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said they had been speaking to each other almost every day to discuss the tensions.
Israel’s Ynet news website said yesterday that a US Navy destroyer had docked at the Israeli port of Eilat. Nato member Turkey shares a border with Iran and opposes any foreign intervention there. It has called for US-Iran dialogue to avoid further destabilisation and has been in touch with both sides to seek a solution.
Earlier yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in a call that Ankara was ready to play a “facilitator” role between the sides.
Iran yesterday announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is conducting a two-day live-fire naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz scheduled to begin tomorrow.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) urged the IRGC to conduct the announced naval exercise in a manner that is safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk to freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic.
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