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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Iran cannot engage in negotiations with the United States while under bombardment, warning that potential U.S. participation in Israeli aggression would create extremely dangerous consequences for everyone.
Speaking to the reporters just before the 51st Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul, Türkiye, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi emphasized Iran's willingness to pursue diplomatic solutions.
"It is clear that they are against diplomacy; they do not want this problem to be solved peacefully. We are definitely ready for a negotiated solution like in 2015," Araghchi stated.
The foreign minister referenced Iran's 2015 agreement with the P5+1 countries (U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany), noting, "This was the result of two years of negotiations, and when we signed the agreement, the whole world celebrated it."
Araghchi accused the United States of being involved in Israeli aggression from the outset, despite American denials of participation.
"Unfortunately, we have concluded that the U.S. has been involved in this aggression from the beginning. They denied this. They keep saying they are not involved, but we have many indicators that they have been involved from the first day," he said.
The Iranian minister pointed to recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump as evidence of American leadership in the conflict, citing "tweets and interviews that clearly show the U.S. leadership on these issues."
Emphasizing the importance of diplomacy, Araghchi stated, "This means that diplomacy can work. It worked in the past and can work in the future, but for us to return to diplomacy, the aggression must be stopped."
He noted that Israel decided to attack Iran just two days before Iran was scheduled to conduct the 6th round of negotiations with the U.S. on June 15, suggesting deliberate sabotage of diplomatic efforts.
Araghchi issued a stark warning about potential American military involvement in the regional conflict.
"Unfortunately, we heard that the U.S. may also participate in this aggression. This would be a very unfortunate situation. I believe this would be very, very dangerous for everyone," the foreign minister declared.
The Iranian official later made clear that diplomatic engagement requires cessation of military attacks.
"It is clear that I cannot negotiate with the U.S. while our people are under bombardment," Araghchi emphasized, linking the possibility of resumed talks to an end to current hostilities.
He characterized the timing of Israeli attacks relative to scheduled negotiations as evidence that certain parties oppose the peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomatic means.
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