Iran open to talks with US but only on ‘equal terms,’ says top diplomat

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has not ruled out negotiations with the US but insists they must be on equal footing. He warned that talks under pressure would be futile, as Supreme Leader Khamenei reiterated that negotiations with Washington would only worsen sanctions.

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has not ruled out talks with Washington, but says they can only take place if both countries are on "equal terms," an Iranian state-run newspaper reported on Thursday.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing nuclear talks, but also warned that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal".

"If we enter negotiations while the other side is imposing maximum pressure, we will be negotiating from a weak position and will achieve nothing," Araqchi told the Iran paper in an interview.

"The other side must be convinced that the policy of pressure is ineffective — only then can we sit at the negotiating table on equal terms."

Khamenei said on Wednesday that talks with the Trump administration would simply "tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran."

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