Iran is ready to discuss its nuclear program if Western countries show they are “serious”, the foreign ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying in an interview published on Thursday.
“We have said several times that we are ready for discussions, but only if the other side is serious about this,” Esmaeil Baqaei said.
In Thursday’s interview, Baqaei expressed hope that new US President Donald Trump would adopt a “realistic approach” towards Iran.
Asked about the possibility of new talks, Baqaei was quoted on Thursday as saying Iran’s policy would depend on “the actions of the other parties”.
On Thursday, Baqaei warned that if this happened, Iran’s adherence to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “would no longer have any meaning”.
During his first term which ended in 2021, Trump pursued a policy of “maximum pressure”, withdrawing the United States from a landmark nuclear deal that imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Tehran adhered to the deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — until a year after Washington’s withdrawal in 2018 but then began rolling back its commitments.
Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear pact have since faltered.
Iran has repeatedly expressed willingness to revive the nuclear deal, and President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office last July, has called for an end to his country’s isolation.
