Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed that Tehran is open to diplomacy and ready to negotiate but conditioned this on the "seriousness" of the United States.

In an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News, Araghchi stated that "nuclear talks have reached a dead end," attributing the stalemate to Washington’s demand under President Donald Trump for a complete halt to uranium enrichment—something Tehran refuses.

He added that "any potential cooperation would be limited to technical aspects related to safety, not inspections, which fall under the authority of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," noting that "in the technical aspects of these challenges, cooperation with Japan could be extremely beneficial."

Araghchi pointed out that "Iran is facing a complex mix of security and safety threats it has never experienced before," confirming structural damage and the possibility of radioactive leakage following recent U.S. strikes.

He continued, "Tehran is not convinced of the usefulness of negotiations or reaching a nuclear agreement," adding, "If they change their approach and are ready for fair and mutually beneficial negotiations, we are ready too. But negotiation is different from dictation… At the moment, we are not convinced they are ready for genuine and serious talks."

Araghchi explained that "the core of the dispute lies in Washington’s refusal to recognize Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of which Japan is a member)."

He concluded by saying that "Iran is willing to accept limits on enrichment levels and types of centrifuges," adding that "negotiations could progress quickly once the United States adopts a reciprocal approach that allows Iran’s peaceful nuclear program to continue and lifts sanctions."