Iran's foreign minister meets EU foreign policy chief ahead of E3 talks

Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani said on Tuesday the United States had proposed reducing the range of Tehran's missiles to less than 500 kilometers, which he called unacceptable.

“In the initial US proposal, a condition was raised that no honorable person would accept – reducing the missile range to less than 500 kilometers. Is such a thing acceptable for an Iranian?” Larijani said.

“The problem lies precisely here, that they raise unacceptable demands,” he added.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday the chances of reaching a diplomatic solution with Iran were “extraordinarily slim,” as the three European powers prepared for another meeting with Iranian officials to press Tehran over its nuclear program.

The meeting with Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday in New York aimed “to explore the last possibilities,” he added.

Iranian and European ministers will meet in New York on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. local time (1400 GMT) for talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week, AFP reported, citing an unnamed French diplomatic source.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that Iran was willing to accept a reasonable and fair proposal if it safeguarded the country’s interests, rejecting claims that Tehran was avoiding negotiations.

“It is a lie that Iran does not negotiate. We were negotiating when you launched a military attack on us. If a reasonable and fair proposal is made that preserves Iran’s interests, we will accept it,” Larijani said in a post on X.