Head of Strategic Council says direct talks with US impossible now

TABNAK, Feb. 27 –Kamal Kharrazi says direct talks with the United States are impossible right now as they would be inconsistent with the Iranian spirit to bow down to pressure.

News ID: 6063

Date: 27 February 2025 - 17:01

Tehran, IRNA – Head of Iran’s Strategic Council of Foreign Relations, Kamal Kharrazi, says the Islamic Republic is not shying away from “true negotiations” and is waiting for the right conditions to engage in dialogue with the West based on mutual respect and equality.

Kharrazi made the remarks in a brief interview during his visit to the headquarters of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Wednesday.

“It is not consistent with the Iranian and revolutionary spirit to bow down to the excesses and tyranny of others. We will negotiate only if the conditions for real negotiations, i.e., based on the principle of equality and mutual respect, are provided,” he said in response to a question about the possibility of talks with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Currently, there is no choice but the maximum patience. Unless conditions are provided that the other side shows a willingness to negotiate truly and not to show totalitarianism, which is not the case at the moment,” he added.

Kharrazi pointed out that “Mr. Trump’s method is totalitarianism and expects others to merely listen to his diktats. We are witnessing this approach even in Europe today, but this is not consistent with the spirit of Iranians and revolutionaries.”

Iran waiting for right conditions to hold ‘true negotiations’: Head of Strategic Council

He said conditions for negotiations with the U.S. are not yet ready, as the Americans must first demonstrate their willingness to negotiate based on mutual respect and the principle of equality. “Negotiations cannot be held in a state of tyranny because such conditions would imply surrender.”

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also ruled out any direct talks with the U.S. amid Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

“Iran’s position regarding nuclear talks is clear: we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions,” Araghchi said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Trump has resumed his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, which he initiated during his first term in the White House after withdrawing the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.