The US must agree to compensate Iran for losses incurred during last month’s war, the Islamic republic’s foreign minister said, as Tehran hardens its position and imposes new conditions for resuming nuclear talks with the Trump administration.
Abbas Araghchi told the Financial Times that Iran would not agree to “business as usual” in the wake of the 12-day conflict with Israel, which the US briefly joined despite having been in talks with Iran.
“They should explain why they attacked us in the middle of . . . negotiations, and they have to ensure that they are not going to repeat that [during future talks],” he said in an interview in Tehran. “And they have to compensate [Iran for] the damage that they have done.”
Araghchi, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, said he and US envoy Steve Witkoff exchanged messages with each other during and since the war, with the Iranian telling the American there needed to be a “win-win solution” to resolve the years-long stand-off over Iran’s nuclear programme.
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“The road to negotiation is narrow but it’s not impossible. I need to convince my hierarchy that if we go for negotiation, the other side is coming with real determination for a win-win deal,” he said.
Araghchi said Witkoff has tried to convince him that it is possible and has proposed resuming talks. But the veteran Iranian diplomat added: “We need real confidence-building measures from their side.”
He said this should include financial compensation, without giving details, and assurances that Iran would not be attacked during negotiations again.
“My message [to Witkoff] is not that complicated,” Araghchi said. “I said the recent aggression proved there is no military solution for Iran’s nuclear programme, but a negotiated solution can be found.”
The conflict erupted on June 13th when Israel launched large-scale air strikes on Iran, 48 hours before Araghchi and Witkoff were to hold a sixth round of indirect talks.
As well as hitting nuclear sites, Israel destroyed much of Iran’s air defence, assassinated top military commanders and at least 13 nuclear scientists, and killed more than 1,000 people, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran responded by firing barrages of missiles and drones at Israel, which Israeli authorities say killed 29 people.
[ A history of Israel's conflicts with Iran, Hamas and HizbullahOpens in new window ]
Two days before brokering a ceasefire, Washington bombed Iran’s two main uranium enrichment sites, Fordow and Natanz, and fired missiles at a separate plant in Isfahan, severely damaging facilities that Tehran spent billions of dollars on.
Araghchi said a third, new enrichment plant near Isfahan – which Tehran had days before the conflict said would be activated in response to censure by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board of governors – was also attacked.
It is the first time Iran has acknowledged the site was struck.
“As far as I know, the preparations were made [for enrichment], but it was not active when it was attacked,” Araghchi said.
In a sign of the challenges facing the resumption of diplomacy, he said the war had fostered mounting resistance to negotiations within Iran’s ruling establishment, as well as calls from some in the Islamic republic to weaponise its nuclear programme.
The minister insisted the theocracy was committed to a peaceful, civilian programme, would not change its doctrine and would abide by a two-decade old fatwa issued by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbidding the development of nuclear weapons.
But Araghchi said the war had only deepened distrust of US president Donald Trump, who during his first term abandoned a 2015 deal Iran signed with the Obama administration and other world powers.
“Anti-negotiation feelings are very high,” Araghchi said. “People are telling me, ‘Don’t waste your time any more, don’t be cheated by them . . . if they come to negotiations it’s only a cover-up for their other intentions’.”
While both Iran and the US said before the war that talks were making progress, they were divided over Trump’s demand that Iran must halt all domestic enrichment of uranium, something Tehran rejected.
Iran’s leaders have since doubled down on their position, arguing Tehran has a right to enrich as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty.
Though Iran suspended co-operation with the IAEA after the war, Araghchi said he expected to hold talks with the UN nuclear watchdog next month over a new “modality of co-operation”.
Western officials say that while Iran’s nuclear programme was severely damaged, it has not been destroyed. They also believe that Iran has retained some, if not all, of a 408kg stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, close to weapons-grade.
Araghchi said he did not know where the stockpile was, but added that Tehran retained the capabilities to enrich uranium.
“Buildings can be rebuilt. Machines can be replaced, because the technology is there. We have plenty of scientists and technicians who used to work in our facilities,” Araghchi said. “But when and how we restart our enrichment depends on the circumstances.”
Trump on Monday warned Iran was sending out “nasty signals” and said the US could launch new strikes if Tehran resumes enrichment, saying “we’ll wipe [the nuclear programme] out faster than you can wave your finger at it”.
[ Trump envoy Witkoff travels to Israel for ceasefire talksOpens in new window ]
Araghchi reiterated there could be no deal as long as Trump demanded Iran agree to zero enrichment, but said Washington should address its concerns through negotiations.
“We can negotiate, they can present their argument and we will present our own argument,” Araghchi said. “But with zero enrichment, we don’t have a thing.”
A US official said Washington is “ready to talk directly to the Iranians”. Trump’s administration on Wednesday highlighted its determination to maintain its “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran when it imposed new sanctions on an oil shipping network.
Araghchi hit out at the UK, France and Germany, European signatories to the 2015 accord, who have warned they would trigger a “snapback” mechanism to reinstate UN sanctions at the end of August if Tehran does not resume negotiations with Washington and co-operation with the IAEA.
Araghchi said Tehran would end talks with the European powers if they did, accusing them of failing to meet their commitments under the 2015 accord.
“With the Europeans, there is no reason right now to negotiate because they cannot lift sanctions, they cannot do anything,” he said. “If they do snap back, that means that this is the end of the road for them.” – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
