Tehran says it's ready to sit for talks on removal of sanctions

Tehran is prepared to start sanctions-lifting negotiations if other parties show readiness, Iran's deputy foreign minister for international and legal affairs said on Tuesday.

Kazem Gharibabadi's remarks follow President Donald Trump's Monday speech, where he referenced Iran's oil revenue, potentially hinting at a continuation of a maximum pressure policy in his new term.

Speaking to reporters the next day, Gharibabadi laid out Tehran's consistent willingness for dialogue.

“We have always been prepared for negotiations, and if the other parties share this readiness, talks will proceed and yield results,” he said, adding, “However, if their policies change, Iran will adjust its approach accordingly.”

At his first rally since being sworn in on Monday, Trump said that during his previous presidency, Israel would not have been attacked on October 7 by Hamas because Iran was financially strained. "Iran was broke," he said, adding "Anyone that bought oil from Iran ... China passed, everybody passed."

During his first presidency, Trump imposed sanctions that put pressure on Iran's oil revenue and aimed to curtail Tehran's spending on armed allies in the region.

In his comments after Trump's inauguration, Gharibabadi touched on Iran’s nuclear program, repeating Tehran's line that it is peaceful and that unilateral sanctions have failed to meet their objectives.

“Sanctions impact people’s lives in any targeted country, but they have not achieved their goal of forcing changes in Iran. The logical path is to return to proper dialogue and lift sanctions,” he said.

Gharibabadi also said that talks with European parties on lifting sanctions are set to continue.

“We have agreed to hold further talks, with the date to be determined through mutual consultations,” he said.