Calls for talks resume; diplomacy remains only solution

TEHRAN, Nov. 16 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that calls for negotiations have resumed, stressing that diplomacy remains the ultimate path for resolving international disputes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed on Sunday that despite recent US and Israeli attacks, diplomacy remains the ultimate path for resolving international disputes. Speaking at the international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Defense” in Tehran, he said that renewed requests for negotiations have begun, underscoring that Iran’s nuclear program cannot be resolved militarily.

Addressing a panel hosted by Kazem Sajjadpour, Araghchi said the recent military strikes on Iran, which he described as an attack on diplomacy itself, “hit the very negotiation table between Iran and the United States.” He emphasized that while the attacks created immediate challenges, they also reaffirmed that there is no alternative to diplomacy.

Araghchi noted that the intended objectives of the US and Israeli regime, including dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, were not achieved. “Facilities may be destroyed, but technology cannot be erased by aerial bombardment, and the will of the Iranian people only strengthens,” he said. He added that these realities have led to renewed requests for negotiations, as the attackers’ military approach proved ineffective.

The foreign minister highlighted a fundamental principle of diplomacy: negotiation cannot be imposed by force. “The first step in diplomacy is to accept that negotiation is different from dictation. It requires mutual exchange and consideration of shared interests,” he said. Araghchi stressed that diplomacy must be conducted with logic, reason, and seriousness, rather than coercion.

Araghchi further recalled Iran’s record of good faith in negotiations, including the 2015 JCPOA agreement. He blamed the United States for repeatedly betraying diplomatic processes, first by unilaterally withdrawing from the JCPOA despite Iran’s full compliance, and later through direct attacks on Iranian territory.

It was never Iran that abandoned diplomacy,” he said, adding that it was the United States and Western powers that consistently sought to impose their will at the negotiating table. "In my opinion, diplomacy can still be alive and remains the ultimate solution for resolving disputes, but its criteria, rules, and principles must be adhered to."