“If the American side refrains from bringing up unrelated issues and demands, and abandons threats and intimidation, there is a good chance of reaching an agreement,” Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi said on Friday, a day before diplomats from Iran and the U.S. are scheduled to hold indirect talks in Muscat on Iran’s nuclear program.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes in dialogue and interaction based on mutual respect, and in our view any kind of bullying and coercion is rejected,” he added.
The deputy minister said that Iran has held discussions with China, Russia, and the three European countries of France, Britain, and Germany over the past few months.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said earlier in the day that Iran was ready to give diplomacy a “genuine chance.”
He said Iran will assess the U.S.’s intent and resolve during the upcoming talks, which will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi as intermediary.