Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said Tehran would “respond positively” to talks with the United States if Washington rules out further military intervention.
Speaking to Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen network late on Thursday, Larijani outlined conditions for engagement as European powers pressed Tehran to resume nuclear talks before the end of August or face sanctions.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Larijani’s remarks tie the prospects of diplomacy to the aftermath of a 12-day conflict in which Israeli and U.S. strikes severely damaged Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, signaling a potential shift in Tehran’s strategic thinking. The E3—France, Germany, and the U.K.—have set a late-August deadline for renewed nuclear talks, warning that failure to do so could trigger the return of full U.N. sanctions under the so-called “snapback” mechanism.
The outcome carries global stakes, as renewed hostilities or sanctions could destabilize energy markets, heighten regional tensions, and complicate broader international security efforts.
What to Know
Larijani is the newly appointed secretary of the Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. His remarks are a signal of Tehran’s willingness to negotiate with the U.S. if Washington accepts that military action cannot achieve peace.
Negotiations are “only useful when both sides accept and understand they cannot achieve their goals through war,” he said, in what appeared to be a careful recalibration of Iran’s strategy after costly military confrontations this summer.
Path to Diplomacy
Separately, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran’s political establishment have reached a consensus that renewed talks with Washington are vital for the country’s survival, according to Reuters.
Unnamed Iranian sources told the agency that the leadership in Tehran now views diplomacy as the only path to avoid further escalation and mitigate strategic and economic costs.
Costs of Conflict
Iran and the U.S. were engaged in nuclear talks aimed at addressing concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program. The negotiations were disrupted when, on June 13, Israel launched strikes targeting senior Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists and politicians, and damaged key facilities.
Nine days into the fighting, the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, which President Donald Trump said “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, heightening Tehran’s sense of vulnerability and complicating the prospects for renewed diplomacy.
What People Are Saying
Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani: “If the United States realizes it cannot defeat the Islamic Republic through war and then seeks negotiations, we will respond positively. But if they negotiate to prepare for the next war, it will be of no benefit to us. Some believe negotiations can solve everything. Negotiations are only useful when both sides accept and understand they cannot achieve their goals through war.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot: “Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances.”
What Happens Next
Facing mounting military and diplomatic pressures, Iran’s leadership is grappling with internal divisions over potential negotiations. Moderates favor easing tensions with Western and regional powers, while hardl-iners insist any agreement include concrete guarantees of mutual restraint.
At the same time, failure to meet the E3’s late-August deadline could trigger the reinstatement of U.N. sanctions under the snapback clause in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—the 2015 Iran deal—raising the risk of a renewed cycle of confrontation.
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