Iran Ready For Nuclear Negotiations If US Promises Not To Attack Again

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi/PHOTO via Instagram @araghchi

JAKARTA - Iran will continue nuclear negotiations with the United States (US) if there is a full guarantee that the US will not return to attack Iran's territory during the negotiation process.

This was confirmed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to CBS News on Tuesday (1/7).

"I don't think negotiations will start again anytime soon. Before we decide to re-negotiate, we have to make sure that America will not attack us again militarily during the negotiation process," he said.

Araghchi said taking into account various things, Iran still needs more time to decide on the next steps.

On Monday, the White House revealed that US President Donald Trump's decision to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, continued to communicate with Iranian officials after the ceasefire was reached between Iran and Israel.

AragCHI said Iran's nuclear program was a "national pride". He also stressed Iran would not just give up on international pressure.

"We have shown in this forced 12-day war that we are capable of defending ourselves, and we will continue to do the same if there is aggression against us," he said.

The Iran-Israeli conflict erupted on June 13 as Israel launched airstrikes on various military, nuclear and civilian facilities in Iran, killing at least 935 people and injuring more than 5,300 others, according to Iran's Ministry of Health.

Iran retaliated by launching a drone missile into Israeli territory. According to data from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the attack killed at least 29 people and injured more than 3,400 people.

The US exacerbated the situation by bombing three major Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The conflict then stalled after the US sponsored the ceasefire which took effect on June 24.