Iran showed no sign of shifting its stance toward the United States at a joint press conference with Turkey on Friday, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran had no plan to meet US officials and would not negotiate under threats or preconditions.
“We do not have any plan or programme to meet or discuss with any US officials,” Araghchi told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
“Negotiation cannot be dictated,” he said. “If one party is threatening and setting preconditions, that is no longer a negotiation.”
“While they are threatening us, they say they want to negotiate,” Araghchi added.
Araghchi said Iran would only consider what he described as “just, fair and equitable” talks, but said the basic framework for such negotiations had not been established.
“We need to see the preconditions and the agenda first,” he said.
He warned that Iran was prepared for escalation if attacked. “We are ready for negotiations, but we are also ready for warfare,” Araghchi said. “We are even more ready than in June last year.”
He said any direct US intervention would change the situation fundamentally and could push the conflict beyond a bilateral confrontation, with wider regional consequences.
Araghchi described his talks with Fidan in Istanbul as “good and useful,” saying they covered bilateral, regional and international issues.
Fidan said Turkey was in contact with both Tehran and Washington as tensions rise, adding that he had held talks with US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
“Yesterday I had long talks with Steve Witkoff,” Fidan said, adding that Ankara would continue contacts with the United States and other regional actors.
Turkey opposes any new conflict in the region and views continued fighting as a driver of instability, terrorism and migration, Fidan said.
